This is about me and the game – Virat Kohli on what brings out the absolute best in him

Virat Kohli has been a living inspiration to countless people across the nation. From his extraordinary feats on the 22 yards to his insane work ethic off the pitch, Kohli continues to do his absolute best.

Talking in the first part of Big Basket presents RCB Podcast, Kohli opened up on how he believes his hard work should be more than enough for people to see his worth.

He was clear that he is unwilling to impress anyone. He is willing to put in the hard yards but it should be to better his game and not to hog the limelight. Kohli also opened up on his mindset regarding returning to the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Shedding light on his preparation mindset, Kohli said, “I prepare for the fact that I will field 50 overs every ball like it's the last ball I'm going to play in my career, and I will bat that way and I will run between the wickets that way, and I will do everything possible for the team. After operating like this, if I have to be in a place where I have to prove my worth and value, that place is not meant to be for me. And I am very clear in my head from that perspective."

Revealing his perspective on returning to the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the tournament’s latest iteration, Kohli added, “That's why when I went back to play, I was very clear in my head: I'm not going out there to prove anything to anyone. I'm going to play because I love playing the game. That's how I played the Vijay Hazare [Trophy] as well.”

Expressing how he felt after playing the tournament, Kohli added, “It was amazing. There was not a person in the [BCCI's] Centre for Excellence [in Bengaluru]. Firstly, I thought I've played for so long and will it be motivating enough? But the moment my intentions switched to 'I want to play because I love playing; I just love batting and I just want to focus on that', I could not care [less about the stage]. It's not like I didn't field. I fielded the whole game, and I was diving around, and I felt like a child again. I was like, 'This is not about anyone else, this is about me and the game and that's what it's going to be.’”