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Regular-article-logo Saturday, 27 April 2024

Focusing on mental state: Virat Kohli

'Whenever I return to the game, I know I will be in good position to start again from where we left'

PTI New Delhi Published 09.05.20, 10:21 PM
India's captain Virat Kohli laughs as he gets ready for a practice session ahead of the second one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Rajkot on Thursday

India's captain Virat Kohli laughs as he gets ready for a practice session ahead of the second one-day international cricket match between India and Australia in Rajkot on Thursday (AP)

Virat Kohli is in a good frame of mind which gives him confidence of being able to pick up from where he left as and when cricket resumes in the post Covid-19 world.

The Team India captain said though he is keeping himself physically fit, his main focus has been working on the mental aspect of the game.

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“Fortunately I have all my gym equipment at home, so I am able to train and that’s not a problem for me. As far as the game goes, luckily, I am someone who has always been very keen on improving my mental state and not really focus on practising long hours in the net over a period of time,” Kohli said on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected.

“So I know, once I am in good frame of mind and I am keeping myself positive and happy, just looking forward in life, whenever I return to the game, I know I will be in good position to start again from where we left.”

Kohli admitted that it was not easy in the initial days. “It was a bit tough initially but you start looking at things from a different point of view as time goes on more and more, because eventually you realise that nothing is in your control,” Kohli said.

“So what you can control to an extent is your own mindset and the only good thing is that I have been able to train… practice was not such a big problem for me even before… so that is what I am doing.”

Kohli said he “absolutely loves” to play in the IPL — which has been postponed indefinitely this year — because it is different from other ICC events in terms of the camaraderie that cricketers of different nationalities share and the connect that the players have with their fans.

“You do play all your tournaments, which is one team versus another, ICC tournaments come every now and then, but even in ICC tournaments, you don’t really interact with the other team players,” Kohli said.

“But in the IPL, you are just probably meeting another team every second or third day and that’s the beauty of the IPL, you are playing in a different mahol (atmosphere).

“I absolutely love that tournament and also for the camaraderie you share with so many new players that you play with, so many players that you have known for a long time now, not from your own country, those who you don’t see often… there is one reason why everyone loves the IPL too, there is a connect, of players and fans and of viewers.”

Asked about his favourite match apart from 2011 World Cup, Kohli said: “It’s a very difficult question because so many matches happen but I think from the point of atmosphere and importance of match, the quarterfinal match against Australia in 2016 T20 World Cup in Mohali, that was my most favourite match.”

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