India batter Virat Kohli has recalled how a conversation with former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) teammate AB de Villiers helped him gain confidence before India toured England in 2018. It was because Kohli was nervous about going to the country where he had a horror showing in Tests in 2014.
Virat Kohli had a horrifying run in the Test series against England in 2014 and many thought that his technique was just not good enough for swinging conditions. He had scored just 134 runs in five Tests and averaged 13.4 in the series and many wrote off the batter as he continuously fell outside off stump.
Kohli wanted to do well in England in 2018 desperately and had even signed a contract with county team Surrey for a short stint, which couldn’t happen as he suffered a neck injury.
Speaking on the latest episode of RCB Podcast, Virat Kohli recalled how jittery he was when he came out to bat in the Edgbaston Test and the crowd there began hooting him, reminding him of his failures in the 2014 Test series.
He recalled: “My heart was pumping because all I could think of was the flashes of 2014. I walked in and there were about 35,000 people at the stadium and they all started booing the moment I entered the field. My heart started beating faster. They have this amazing ability to create an environment where you feel like I have got no chance here.”
Kohli had an amazing series in England in 2018, where scored 593 runs with two centuries and three fifties to his name.
Anushka Was Also A Bit Emotional- Virat Kohli On Scoring Century In Edgbaston Test
Virat Kohli was given a chance when he was on 22 as his catch was grassed and he made sure that England paid for their dropped chance. The then-Indian captain smashed a scintillating 149, keeping the visitors in the game.
Kohli, on the podcast, talked about that century made him feel emotional and that a huge weight was lifted off his shoulder. He also shared the reaction of his wife Anushka Sharma.
On this, he stated: “I had to face the first ball from Anderson, what were the odds (laughs). I was also dropped on 22 and that’s why I could score 149. After that innings, I was just in my room and was emotional. Anushka was also a bit emotional as she understood why my heart was racing. It was like so much weight was lifted off my shoulders.”