‘Told Rahul Bhai I have No Idea’ – Virat Kohli drops a bombshell about match-winning knock against Pakistan in 20-20 World Cup
Virat Kohli (left) and Rahul Dravid (right) (Source: Twitter)
Team India’s victory over Pakistan in the 20-20 World Cup last year is regarded as one of the greatest in the history of cricket. Former India skipper Virat Kohli played an unbeaten match-winning knock of 82 runs off 53 balls which took India to victory on the last ball of the match. The former Bangalore franchise captain described the feelings he felt and even acknowledged that he was so confused that he didn’t fully understand a single word of guidance from coach Rahul Dravid.
“I still can’t make any sense of it. That’s a very honest admission. And a lot of people have tried to ask me what were you thinking, how did you plan and I have no answers. The fact of the matter is that I was so much under pressure that my mind had shut off completely by the 12th or 13th over,” Kohli was quoted as saying at the Puma event which took place recently before the start of the 16th edition of the Indian T20 League.
I was like this is worse than it was before: Virat Kohli
“I was going through what I was going through, then I came back in the Asia Cup and I was playing well and I felt like ‘Wow I’m ready to play in this World Cup’. At the 10th over mark, we were 31 for 4 and I had just ran Axar out. I was 12 off 25 balls, or something. I remember in the break, Rahul bhai came to me and I don’t remember what he said. I swear and I even told him this as well. I told him, ‘I have no idea what you told me in that break because I was zoned out’,” the 34-year-old added.
“My mind was spinning so fast…I was like this is worse than it was before. I had spiralled down so far down that there is no comeback from here and that was my honest feeling at the halfway mark. That is when my instinct took over. So, when I stopped thinking and planning, whatever God-given talent I have that came to the surface and then I felt like something higher was guiding me. I can’t claim any of that. I was trying to do it before as well but it wasn’t working. The lesson for me was stop using your mind so much because it actually pushes you away from real magic. What happened that night, I can never explain it and it won’t happen ever again,” the right hand batter concluded.
Virat Kohli is in ominous form at the moment and will be plying his trade for Bangalore in the Indian T20 League 2023. The former Indian skipper is no longer the captain of Bangalore but would be eager to clinch the title for the franchise.
