The bowlers around the world might have failed to find a flaw in Virat Kohli’s batting in the last 12 months but the Indian batting sensation has admitted that even his batting had its fair share of flaws and he overcame them by understanding the game better. In a year that saw him scoring four T20 centuries in the Indian Premier League (IPL), three double centuries in Tests and over 2500 international runs, the India Test captain has said he is happy to have a good understanding of his game which has played a vital role in his extraordinary batting prowess.
Speaking to ecb.co.uk, he said:“It can be put down to understanding my game a lot better than I used to. Being happy with the ability I have, the sort of drawbacks that I have. I understand my flaws and strengths nicely.”
Kohli capped off his fine year with a brilliant batting performance in the recently concluded series against England where he led his team to the biggest ever win over the visitors in Test cricket. He scored 655 runs in only five matches at an astonishing average of over 109 to help India beat Alastair Cook’s men 4-0.
“It’s also about finding the right balance. People talk about not having flaws and it’s wrong. Everyone has flaws and consistency is nothing but overcoming those flaws and finding the ability to score runs in Test format, especially which I wanted to find within my game. I feel in happy space knowing exactly where my game is going,” he added.
Meanwhile, the 28-year-old revealed that he takes a lot of inspiration from football star Cristiano Ronaldo. Kohli has been winning plaudits from all quarters not only for his exemplary batting skills but also for his tremendous fitness and work ethics.
“I take a lot of inspiration from Cristiano Ronaldo. The way he has stayed on top for so many years, it’s nothing but down to hard work. I have heard he is the most hardworking footballer in the world and that’s why he is where he is. Messi is a freak (genius) but this guy (Ronaldo) is giving him run for his money because of his hard work,” Kohli said.
The Delhi lad was tipped to be India’s next flag bearer when he made his debut in international cricket. And it is safe to say that he has exceeded all expectations so far. In a country where a single poor performance can turn you into a villain, Kohli has become the darling of the crowd. He has not wilted under pressure and insisted that he has started enjoying it.
Kohli said:“It’s about how you perceive that situation. It’s very similar when you go out to bat. Either you see four slips standing at the back or you see the boundaries only.
“The external pressure, I have started enjoying it rather than running away from it because if I run away from it, it may come back to hound me and catch me and put me down to a level that I can’t imagine. So I have to take it along with me and find a way to deal with it,” he concluded.