I’m living my dream – Virat Kohli on his match-winning knock against New Zealand
Virat Kohli continued his dream run as another sensational knock of 93 saw India off in a high-scoring chase. The Chase Master looked in fine control and regulated the Indian innings to perfection as the hosts went past the total of 300 without much of a fuss. This was Kohli’s 77th half-century in the ODIs, which also earned him the Player of the Match award. During his 93-run knock, Kohli also became the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket with 28068 runs.
Talking at the post-match presentation, Kohli opened up on what he does with the Player of the Match awards while underlining the confidence that he has in him. He also highlighted the situation when he walked out to bat while talking about how he adapted with the entire scenario evolving around him.
He started with a quick word about what he does with the Player of the Match trophies, stating, “I just send the trophies back home to my mum in Gurgaon - she loves keeping them.” A heartwarming gesture from the King which made the world take note.
Shedding light about becoming the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, Kohli said, “If I look back at my whole journey then it is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I have always known my abilities, but I also knew I had to work extremely hard to get where I am today. God has blessed me with far more than I could ever ask for, I look back at my journey with a lot of grace and gratitude, and I feel really proud of it.”
Kohli further added about his thoughts on missing out the century, stating, “If I am being brutally honest, the way I’m playing right now, I’m not thinking about milestones at all. If we were batting first, I probably would’ve gone harder. But in a chase, with a total on the board, I had to play the situation. I felt like hitting more boundaries, but experience kicks in. The only thing on my mind was getting the team into a position where we could win comfortably.”
Revealing the overall change in his approach, Kohli said, “The basic idea is I bat at number three, if the situation is tricky, I back myself to counterattack rather than just waiting around. Any ball can have your name on it, so there’s no point being passive. At the same time, you don’t play outrageous shots - you stick to your strengths. Today, when I walked in after Rohit got out, I felt if I pushed hard in the first 20 balls, we could put the opposition on the back foot. That ended up making the difference.”
He concluded by saying, “It is all different timings happens at different games, I’m aware of it, and honestly, I don’t feel good about it. I’ve seen the same thing happen with MS as well. It’s not a great feeling for the guy walking back. I understand the crowd’s excitement, but I try to focus on what I need to do and not think too much about it. I’m extremely grateful. It’s a blessing, honestly. To give so much happiness to so many people just by doing what you love - playing the sport you’ve loved since childhood - what more can I ask for? I’m living my dream, and seeing people smile makes me happy.”
