‘People will always have opinion and judgement…’: Virat Kohli hits back at critics before Asia Cup
Despite the towering highs for the majority of his 15-year-old international cricket career so far, Virat Kohli has had his fair share of lows too. He is no stranger to constant scrutiny. He is one of those rare athletes, whose own standards have at times, become a reason for harsh criticism. The weight of Kohli’s 76 international centuries – the second-most after Sachi Tendulkar – is such that 60s and 70s aren’t good enough as he found out when he went without a three-figure score for nearly three years between December 2019 to September 2022.
Virat Kohli during a training session
And when he finally broke the deadlock with a record-breaking 122* off 62 balls in an Asia Cup T20 against Afghanistan, the expectations moved to ODIs. He took care of that with back-to-back hundreds – against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka but the questions never stopped. His disappointing numbers in Test cricket in the last three-four years were pointed out. He roared back to form with a century against the West Indies and but Kohli knows, there will be another challenge thrown at him. The demands are endless, and expectations are plenty.
But trust Kohli to always fight it out, no matter what the situation is. “But what has truly defined me as a person is my ability to stay resilient and keep pushing forward, no matter how difficult the circumstances,” Kohli told The Indian Express. He understands the “importance of self-belief and staying true to myself”.
But what about the critics? Kohli is not bothered by them at all. “People will always have opinions and judgments, but I have learned to trust my instincts and have confidence in my abilities. This self-belief has been the driving force behind all my achievements on the cricket field.”
The former India captain, who will be one of the pillars of India’s batting unit during the upcoming Asia Cup and World Cup at home, said he draws inspiration from his best performances.
“This self-belief helps me stay positive and focused on improving my game… I draw inspiration from my past successes and learnings. Reflecting on the moments when I performed at my best and analysing the areas where I can improve from losses, helps me grow as a player. Every setback becomes an opportunity for me to come back stronger,” he added.
If there is anything about Kohli that wows people apart from his batting, that is fitness standards. Even at 34, he is one of the fittest cricketers going around. The key behind that is pushing the limits and maintaining a nice balance between strength training, agility drills and endurance training.
“When it comes to training, I believe in pushing myself to the limit. I engage in a combination of strength training, agility drills, and endurance exercises. It’s all about building a strong foundation to handle the challenges of the game and stay injury-free,” he explained. “Of course, rest and recovery are equally crucial. Giving my body enough time to recover from intense training sessions is essential for peak performance. So, I make sure to get enough sleep and listen to my body’s needs.”
