Virat Kohli on EatSure Presents RCB Podcast Full Episode | Game Changers
Summary
TLDRIn this insightful podcast, Indian cricketer Virat Kohli opens up about his career's pivotal moments, including the psychological challenges he faced during the 2014 England tour and his remarkable turnaround in 2018. Kohli reflects on the importance of mental strength, the value of experience, and the influence of figures like MS Dhoni. He also discusses the transition of captaincy, the cultural impact of his play, and how personal life events, particularly his relationship with Anushka Sharma, have profoundly shaped his outlook on and off the field.
Takeaways
- 🏏 Virat Kohli discusses the mental challenges he faced before batting in a crucial match, highlighting the importance of overcoming past failures and nerves.
- 🎶 Music plays a significant role in Kohli's preparation, helping him to calm his nerves and get into the right mindset before performances.
- 👫 Kohli emphasizes the support from his wife, Anushka Sharma, as a vital source of strength during difficult phases of his career.
- 🤝 He acknowledges MS Dhoni's mentorship and the profound impact of his guidance, especially during challenging times, showing the value of camaraderie among cricketers.
- 💡 Kohli shares his realization about the importance of self-reflection and mental well-being, urging the need to understand one's own state of mind and emotions.
- 🌟 Reflecting on his career, Kohli expresses gratitude for his achievements and views failures as opportunities for growth rather than setbacks.
- 🔄 The transition from captaincy to a regular player involved an adjustment in mindset for Kohli, learning to let go of decision-making and trusting the new leadership.
- 🤔 Kohli contemplates the nature of cricket, comparing it to art, and stresses the importance of adapting to different situations and playing with the right intent.
- 🏆 Despite not winning an ICC trophy as a captain, Kohli takes pride in the cultural change and team performance, indicating that success is not solely defined by winning trophies.
- 🌱 He shares personal anecdotes about growth and learning from experiences, such as his transformation after the 2014 England tour, demonstrating resilience and the ability to bounce back from tough experiences.
Q & A
What was Virat Kohli's emotional state before his innings in the 2014 England tour?
-Virat Kohli's heart was racing due to the pressure and memories of the 2014 tour. He felt the environment was hostile, with the crowd booing as he walked in to bat.
How did Virat Kohli handle the initial pressure during his first innings in England in 2018?
-Kohli managed to calm himself down after facing the first ball from James Anderson. He was initially dropped at 22, but this incident helped him to settle in and he went on to score 149 runs.
What role did Anushka Sharma play in Virat Kohli's life during challenging times?
-Anushka Sharma was a significant source of strength for Virat Kohli, having been with him through various phases of his career and providing support and understanding.
How did MS Dhoni support Virat Kohli during a difficult phase in his career?
-MS Dhoni reached out to Virat Kohli, offering support and understanding, as he had been in similar situations and could empathize with Kohli's mindset and experiences.
What was the game-changing moment for Virat Kohli in his professional career?
-The game-changing moment for Virat Kohli was during the 2012 Australia tour, specifically the third test match in Perth, where he scored 48 and 75, proving his ability to perform under pressure.
What advice does Virat Kohli give to youngsters joining the team?
-Virat Kohli advises youngsters to believe in themselves and their abilities, emphasizing the importance of mindset over experience, and to not feel inadequate due to the number of games played.
How does Virat Kohli view the importance of captaincy in a team?
-Kohli views captaincy as a responsibility and a significant role, but also emphasizes that no one is bigger than the game. He believes in the importance of trust and respect in the team dynamics.
What was Virat Kohli's approach to dealing with failure and setbacks in his career?
-Kohli focuses on the positive aspects of his career and what has gone right, rather than dwelling on failures. He is grateful for his achievements and sees failures as part of the journey to success.
How did Virat Kohli's perspective on life change after meeting Anushka Sharma?
-Meeting Anushka Sharma was a life-changing moment for Virat Kohli as it introduced him to a different perspective on life. It led to personal growth and a more open and accepting approach to different aspects of life.
What does Virat Kohli consider when seeking inspiration outside of cricket?
-Virat Kohli draws inspiration from observing the strength and resilience of his wife, Anushka Sharma, especially during the challenges of motherhood and the transformation that comes with it.
How does Virat Kohli handle the transition from being a captain to a regular player?
-Kohli acknowledges the difference in responsibility and the need to hold back from making decisions in critical moments. He respects the new captain's decisions and supports the team without feeling the need to control the situation.
Outlines
🏏 Overcoming Nerves and Flashbacks in Cricket
In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on a challenging moment in his cricket career. He recalls the anxiety before batting in the first innings, with his heart racing due to memories of past performances in 2014. The crowd's booing initially intensified his nerves, but he managed to calm himself after facing the first ball from James Anderson. Despite getting dropped at 22, he went on to score 149 runs, realizing the importance of focusing on the positives and the fickleness of the game. The conversation shifts to the RCB podcast, where Danish interviews Virat Kohli about game-changing moments, and Kohli discusses the support he received from MS Dhoni during a difficult phase in his career.
🤔 The Importance of Self-Care and Compassion in Sports
The speaker emphasizes the importance of self-assessment and well-being, especially for those perceived as strong individuals. He shares a personal experience where MS Dhoni reached out to him, showing understanding and compassion. This interaction highlighted the need to sometimes step back and evaluate personal well-being, rather than solely focusing on external expectations. The speaker also discusses the rarity of finding individuals who have experienced similar situations and can genuinely offer support and understanding.
💪 The Power of Visualization and Self-Belief in Sports
The speaker recounts a pivotal moment in his career in 2012 during a test match in Australia. Facing a challenging pitch and personal pressure, he found resilience through self-belief and visualization. He shares how he mentally prepared himself for success, which culminated in a strong performance that reinforced his belief in the power of a positive mindset. This experience taught him the significance of focusing on one's abilities and potential, rather than being overwhelmed by external circumstances.
🌳 The Impact of Nature and Observation on Mental Balance
The speaker discusses the rejuvenating effects of walking in nature and observing the environment. He differentiates between simply seeing and actively looking at one's surroundings, emphasizing the importance of being present and attentive. This practice, he explains, helps in achieving a balanced and positive state of mind, which is crucial for maintaining mental health and well-being. The speaker also reflects on the changes in technology and how it might affect the ability to disconnect and immerse in one's surroundings.
🏆 Reflections on Captaincy and the Transition from Leadership
The speaker shares his thoughts on captaincy, the cultural impact he aims to achieve, and the transition he experienced when he stopped being the captain. He expresses pride in the team's accomplishments under his leadership and the cultural change he initiated. He also discusses the emotional aspect of stepping down from captaincy, especially after leading the team to the top of test cricket rankings, and how he views the game beyond the desire to win tournaments.
🤝 Respectful Transitions and Relationships in Cricket
The speaker talks about his experiences with transitions in captaincy, both taking over and handing over the role. He describes the smooth transition with MS Dhoni, who chose him as his successor, and the mutual respect they shared. The speaker also mentions his relationship with Faf du Plessis and how they respected each other's decisions on the field, highlighting the importance of trust and respect in team dynamics.
🛑 Adjusting to Change and Letting Go of Captaincy
The speaker reflects on the difference between being a captain and a player, acknowledging the responsibility and decision-making that comes with leadership. He discusses the process of letting go and adjusting to not being in charge, especially during critical moments in a game. He shares instances where he offered advice to the new captain and how he learned to hold back when it was not his place to intervene, emphasizing the importance of trust and intent in team decisions.
🎨 Cricket as an Art Form and the Importance of Intent
The speaker likens cricket to an art form, requiring the right intent and adaptability to different situations. He emphasizes that personal gain should not be the motivation for playing, as it can lead to being quickly found out. Instead, he advocates for being present and reacting to the demands of the situation, which allows for the display of different aspects of the game and personal character.
🚀 From Struggles to Success: The Transformation of a Cricketer
The speaker recounts his journey from struggling during the 2014 England tour to triumphing in the 2018 return. He discusses the initial pressure and the realization that he needed to focus on winning for the team rather than proving himself. After overcoming a neck injury that prevented him from playing county cricket, he found confidence in his abilities and support from MS Dhoni, which led to a successful series where he scored 149 runs in a test match.
💡 Handling Expectations and the Power of Self-Belief
The speaker shares an anecdote about a corporate fan who challenged him about his batting performance after the 2014 England tour. He used this encounter to illustrate the importance of self-belief and not being swayed by external expectations. He made an analogy with the fan's career progression, emphasizing that success is a process that requires hard work and time, not an immediate outcome.
👨👩👧 Inspiration from Home and Personal Life
The speaker discusses finding inspiration from his personal life, particularly from his wife Anushka, who has shown incredible strength and resilience during the challenges of motherhood. He reflects on the importance of having a life partner who understands and loves him unconditionally, and how this support has been a significant source of inspiration for him.
🤷♂️ Misunderstandings and the True Personality of a Sportsman
The speaker addresses the misunderstandings about his personality, particularly the perception of aggression on the field. He explains that his true self is what is seen off the field and that his competitive nature is a separate aspect of his personality. He acknowledges the difficulty of people understanding the full person unless they have spent time with him and emphasizes the importance of not confining oneself to a system to achieve excellence.
💞 Love and Life-Changing Moments
The speaker identifies the moment he met Anushka as life-changing, as it introduced him to a different perspective on life. He discusses how love and opening up to another person led to personal growth and a more accepting outlook on life's different approaches. This experience urged him to change for the better and embrace the diversity of life's paths.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Flashbacks
💡Heart rate
💡Environment
💡Mentorship
💡Resilience
💡Visualization
💡Captaincy
💡ICC Trophies
💡Transition
💡Intent
💡Personal Gain
Highlights
Virat Kohli recalls the anxiety and pressure he felt before batting in the first innings of a cricket match, with flashbacks to 2014.
He describes the hostile environment created by a stadium full of booing fans, which initially increased his heart rate.
Kohli shares his experience of facing James Anderson and how he managed to calm down after playing the first ball.
He talks about the importance of not dwelling on past failures and focusing on the positives from his innings where he scored 149 runs.
Kohli discusses the mentorship and support he received from MS Dhoni, who reached out to him during a challenging phase.
Dhoni's message about the importance of asking how someone is doing, even if they are seen as strong, resonated with Kohli.
Kohli emphasizes the value of experience and understanding when it comes to providing support to others in similar situations.
He recounts a pivotal moment in his career in 2012 during a Test match in Perth, where he had to perform to stay in the team.
Kohli explains the power of visualization and self-belief that helped him score 48 and 75 in that Test match.
He shares his philosophy on the importance of mindset over experience in performing well in cricket.
Kohli talks about the benefits of walking around and observing the environment as a way to rejuvenate and find balance.
He reflects on his decision to step down as captain from all formats and the cultural change he is proud of in Indian cricket.
Kohli expresses gratitude for his achievements in cricket and does not focus on the absence of an ICC trophy.
He discusses the transition of captaincy, the respect between him and MS Dhoni, and the smooth handover process.
Kohli describes the difference between being a captain and a player, and the need to hold back from making decisions when not in charge.
He talks about the importance of trust and respect in team dynamics, and how it has been a consistent factor in his relationships with other captains.
Kohli shares his perspective on cricket being like art when played with the right intent and being present in every moment.
He recounts his transformation as a player from the low point in 2014 to the high point in 2018, including his emotional innings of 149 runs.
Kohli tells a story about a man on a flight who challenged him about his batting performance, and how he responded with an analogy about expectations and pressure.
He speaks about finding inspiration from his wife Anushka's strength and the life-changing impact of becoming a parent.
Kohli discusses the importance of not being confined by systems and the need to go beyond the basics to achieve excellence.
He reflects on the life-changing moment of meeting Anushka and how it opened him up to different perspectives and ways of living.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello and welcome to each show presents
the RCB podcast
[Music]
and I clearly remember before going to
bat in that first innings
my heart was racing because all I could
think of was flashback flashbacks of uh
flashes of sorry flashes of 2014.
coming to me again and again
and I'm padded up I have to add next and
then the next Wicket follows
and I was just trying to control my
heart rate sitting outside so I walked
in
and um I remember 35 30 35 000 people in
that Stadium
they all started booing when I walked in
and
um
it's my heart started beating faster and
they have this amazing ability to create
an environment where you feel like I've
got no chance here yes so I I remember
James Anderson was was the guy I was
running into Bull and I was like what
are the odds I have to face the first
ball from him again after four years I
was like please just play the first ball
any any bolded I think it was on fourth
time and I left that ball
um so I became calm after that first
ball and then I got dropped at on 22
actually see these are the things I'm
talking about like so many things could
have gone wrong I could have been out on
22 in that Innings yeah but I got
dropped and I got 149 and I didn't look
back from there
so that's when you realize that you
can't just sit sit there and and creep
about things that didn't go right a lot
of things that went right A lot of times
you've been dropped in situations where
if you were not
you probably won't be sitting here yeah
it's it's that fickle it's that minute
so
[Music]
[Music]
hello and welcome to the RCB podcast my
name is Danish this is season two and
we're talking about moments that have
been game changing and with me is the
game changer Virat Kohli
it's good to have you back on the seat
yeah in normalcy in normalcy
um I wanted to begin by asking this
question which has been on my mind uh
the end of every IPL game you see a lot
of younger players come and huddle
around senior players and ask questions
so where do the grades go like whom do
you go chatted because I I've never seen
you uh let's say uh an MS dhoni or some
of the other grades just huddle around
somebody and ask questions where do you
go for your answers
it's a very um nice question very
interesting question actually
you know I've
um
experienced a very different kind of
phase in my career currently and it's
been it's been a while since I really
felt free in a sense
um how I felt all these years playing at
uh any level of cricket
and what's interesting is that
throughout this phase
apart from
Anushka who's been
the biggest source of strength for me
because she's been with me through this
whole time she's seen me very closely
um
as to how I felt the things I've gone
through the kind of things that have
happened in the last few months what's
interesting is that
um the the only
person who kind of apart from my
childhood coach obviously who who
offered help and you know family they
offer help but someone who's been
in similar situations
understanding mindset and how
things can affect a person
the only person who's genuinely reached
out to me has been MS dhoni
um and for me that is
such a
blessing to
to know that I could have such a strong
bond and such a strong relationship with
someone who's so senior to me where you
know things are it's more like
friendship based on a lot of mutual
respect and he reached out to me and he
rarely you can really get in touch with
him uh you know if I call him on any
random day 99 chances it won't pick up
because it just doesn't look at his
phone so for him to reach out to me
twice it's happened now
and that's one of the one of the things
that uh you know he mentioned in in the
same
um uh message reaching out to me was
um when you are expected to be strong
and looked at as a strong individual
people forget to ask you how are you
doing hmm so it hit home for me you know
it was like
this is it uh because I've always been
looked at as someone who is very
confident very mentally strong and you
know just can endure any situation any
circumstance and find a way and show us
the way and
um sometimes what you realize is that at
any given point of time in life as a
human being
you really need to just take a couple of
steps back and understand how you are
doing how how your well-being is where
it's placed so there is not
um many places that
um I I wouldn't use the term grades but
people who have played for a long period
of time and are looked at as strong
individuals there are not many places
they can go uh and explain things in a
way that the other person understands
now why I mentioned this particular
incident is because he knows exactly
what's going on he understands it
because he's been there himself and he's
experienced what I experienced right now
so it is only out of experience and as
as we spoke recently as well feeling
those feelings
in that moment yeah is the only way you
can truly be compassionate and
understanding towards another individual
who's going through the same thing
[Music]
so you've lived through this incredible
career for so many years uh if I had to
ask you to pick one moment from your
professional career where you thought
this was game changing like some
somewhere where you went
man the switch is flipped this is it
what was that moment
I would say
uh 2012
we were in Australia and I remember as I
mentioned those two test matches had
gone horribly wrong and um we're playing
in Perth the third test match
and that was a a very tough pitch
a lot of pace and bounce and
a lot of grass on the pitch
um and I knew that that if I don't
perform in this test match there's no
chance I'm gonna play the fourth and
probably have to go back to first last
cricket and find my way up again
so I clearly remember when we left
Sydney
where the second test match was
there was a lot of
um
you know when you lose two matches badly
test match especially badly in Australia
the whole environment becomes very uh
dense tense and you know there's a lot
of everyone's obviously feeling a lot of
pressure and when it's your first due to
Australia and you see everyone kind of
feeling that pressure as a youngster you
feel like I've got no chance here right
because
the whole team is feeling like that I am
the most inexperienced so how the hell
am I gonna you know turn this around
and I I remember
I kind of in that adverse situation kind
of got a resilience that
hold on
maybe I can be different if I think
different
um
uh so I went into my own space
spent a lot of time
just walking around by myself
um sit in a coffee shop or whatever I I
remember every time I stepped onto the
bus or I went to a practice session I
always had music on and I kept telling
myself I got eight audio hundreds by by
the time
and I kept telling myself I'm good
enough to play at this level and if I
can get
eight hundreds in ODI Cricket I can
manage this as well so I kept telling
myself I'm good enough I'm good enough
I'm good enough and I ended up scoring
48 in the first Innings and 75 in the
second
in that test match in conditions that
were very tough and I I was the highest
run getter in that test match for us
that made me believe that
you know the power of visualization and
believing in yourself
it's so
um huge that we never tap into the
potential of that fully but it's only
when you really put out all the
distractions on the side and believe in
yourself you can do something which
is not perceivable for people on the
outside so that was a big lesson for me
and even till today if any youngster
comes into the team
my first
chat to them is about the same thing it
doesn't matter whether I've played 100
test matches or whether you played two
if on the day your mindset is better you
will perform better than me the game
gives you no guarantees
um so never feel like you're not good
enough because you've not played so many
games
if you are confident enough you can get
a hundred compared to a guy who's played
four or 500 International matches
that's how you realize that
how you adjust to that level very
quickly
uh it took me a bit of time but that was
quite a revelation for me which I always
carry through in my career also I love
the fact that you said
you just walk
you just walked around
and does clearly nature seems to have a
massive effect on you environments
nature walking around uh does it do a
lot to you I mean uh I think it would to
anyone because I I I'm on board with
that it does it to me as well but
look but is this beautiful for people
watching to know that just step out walk
what really helped back in the day and
I'd be very honest right now is when we
didn't have devices which kind of kept
you
um engaged engaged so much
um
it was easier it's I'm not saying it
can't be done today it can definitely be
done
but it was a much easier back then
because
um
to have any source of entertainment
apart from being being at practice or
chilling with friends was probably if
you have a Playstation fixed in a room
so you have to switch it on and start
the game start playing and all those
kind of things yes we had iPads but I've
never been a big gamer on iPads ever
so
at that point of time it was so what I
realized was when you go out for a walk
and you put music
you choose to go out for a walk right
yeah because you can be in your room and
be on the phone as well so when you go
out for a walk you choose to go out for
a walk you look around you look at the
environment around you you look at
infrastructure how the city is built is
it different to another city right you
look at you go to a park so many
different things going on someone's
walking out of their dog
the couple sitting there walking around
they're old couples the kids playing
there's so much going on if you just
observe all of that
it just puts you in a space where you're
present because to be able to observe
you need to be in that situation and you
need to look yeah so
um I've always felt a very distinct
difference between seeing and looking
yeah you can just see something and you
know just turn away but when you look
you are looking for something when
you're looking you're paying attention
and when you're paying attention you
start getting more and more connected
with yourself and you start feeling
balanced you start feeling positive you
start feeling good yeah and if something
positive is happening in front of you
start feeling the emotion of it rather
than just seeing ah okay whatever
playing let's walk away but if you sit
there You observe it and it's amazing
how those things always came very
naturally to me yeah and uh whenever I
felt like I was I was getting pulled in
by the environment I would always
disconnect and move away and walk away
and it always rejuvenated me
foreign
[Music]
foreign
captaincy from all formats and uh
when you did we were the number one test
team in the world and I know how much
test Cricket means to you and I'm sure a
lot of people follow the game also know
that
um at any level does it ever pinch you
that you didn't win an ICC trophy
not I mean
look you play to win tournaments but uh
that's not I mean
a lot was made made of it to be honest I
I kept in and what I kept in Champions
Trophy 2017 I captained
um 2019 World Cup I captain test
Championship 2021
um so after three ICC tournaments
already I was I was see just three
losses that's three games that you lost
I mean we lost the last T20 World Cup we
didn't qualify yeah so that's three and
a half we reached the finals of 2017
Champions trophies semis of
World Cup finals of test championship
and I was
considered as a failed Captain so I mean
look I never judged myself from that
point of view I was never
what we ended up achieving as a team and
as a cultural change for me that's
always going to be a matter of Pride
because a tournament happens for a
certain period of time correct but a
culture happens over a long period of
time and for that you need consistency
for that you need more character than
just winning a tournament wow so I have
won a World Cup as a player I won
Champions Trophy as a player yeah I won
I mean I've been part of a team that's
won five test misses if if you look at
it from that point of view there have
been people who have never won a World
Cup I am always grateful for what I have
and you were 22 when you won the World
Cup scored 100 in the first game got
some 35 in the finals yeah I was lucky
enough to be part of that team to be
honest and what led to my selection was
also amazing because I had a run of
great scores and I ended up being the
team I never expected it to happen so
when things are meant to be things are
meant to be and there were there were
people in the team who as as you know
Sachin Tendulkar is playing his sixth
World Cup if I'm not wrong and that was
the one he won and I was able to be a
part of a team first time and I ended up
being part of a Winning Side yeah
so if I had to look at what has gone
wrong in my career it's very easy to do
that but I look at what's gone right in
my career and I'm grateful for that I'm
not I'm not uh I'm not mad for
you know my my trophy cabinet to be full
yeah
um to me that's always been a byproduct
of of how you uh conduct yourself kind
of discipline you have and how you are
striving towards Excellence on a daily
basis and I I feel like I've been very
honest to to that aspect of the game you
know you've been in a position where
you've taken over captaincy you've also
been in a cap a position where you've uh
handed over captaincy is there a
similarity between the transition uh and
I'm going to talk about two people who
um are just incredible and they come
across as lovely human beings I know one
of them thanks to RCB faf and the other
is Ms dhoni uh who again the world is in
love with what's that been like to kind
of uh receive and to give again as you
mentioned both people are amazing
um with me and Ms there was never a
question of
of any awkwardness in that whole period
because the reality of the situation is
Ms chose me
it wasn't the other way around so when
you when you understand that as a
captain you already have someone who has
been under your wing since he was 23 and
Vice Captain and I was always having
conversations to him about what we can
do in the field my suggestions to him
whether he can take it on board this and
that so I was always his his
right hand man yeah I was always there
understanding the game and we also got
confidence because I was I was
playing a lot of match winning knocks
for the team so he understood that I
understand the game I understand where
the game is going and what I need to do
and also I was giving him a lot of
inputs on the field I was never someone
who's just standing there fielding and
you know throwing the ball back I was
always going to him if the game was
tight what do you think we can do
because I was always
I was always with the feel of the game I
was never really only looking at the
scoreboard oh these many runs these many
balls know what is the pitch doing what
the conditions are like what are our
Bowlers bowling like if the batsman's
feeling uncomfortable or Not What fields
can we put what can we do to try and
break this partnership or all those kind
of things yeah so he understood that
very early so he kind of
took me under his wing and and since
2012 I was groomed to be the next guy
who's gonna take over
um
so that that's why it was very smooth
and I had
always had and still have huge respect
for him
um
for how he kept in the Indian cricket
team and obviously how he performs with
the Indian cricket team for so long
and I never had any kind of
um
what do I say ill intentions when it
came to Ms like I never felt like I
should be there
do you understand like yeah I always was
very respectful of the fact that it has
so much trust in me and I can go and
talk to him about anything any situation
clearly it seems like a very respect uh
driven relationship uh between you yeah
so when I became Captain as well it was
still the same he would give me advice
all the time and I was able to tell him
this I don't want to use this at this
moment and let's go ahead and use this
plan yeah it was very clear and it was
very simple there was never awkwardness
there was never
any of this he might feel bad or I might
feel bad never happened with us so that
was such an amazing transition which I
experienced
um and then here as well with with faf
as I as I mentioned in the interview
before we've always had a lot of respect
for each other
we got along well whenever we had a few
chats
um and then as soon as
I understood that this is rcd's plan I
messaged him uh so I was I was probably
the first guy to message him and let him
know that this is gonna happen
so he he was very excited about it and
he immediately understood that
I am on board here to play under him and
he was clearly very excited the way he
replied to me and he felt like you know
this is something that will motivate him
to to kind of Take A New Path and and
help the team go to the goals that we
want to go to so it's it's both ways
it's been it's been very very nice so
what is the difference that you've
experienced uh walking in as the captain
leading the side out
uh and then suddenly having this
transformation to not being the captain
because you've played as a player before
as well uh
but have you like is there a stark
difference between the two things of
course of course there is I mean I I'd
be lying if I said it's not
um
because you you go into a position of
being responsible for everything that's
going on around you yeah and to not be
in that position it takes a bit of time
to
process it and understand it and let
that become normal if that makes sense
sort of I think it's about letting go
it's not so much letting go because once
you have decided that you don't want to
do it you've already let go of it in a
sense but it's the moments where the
game is
kind of in the balance that's when you
feel like oh we should and that's when
you realize no maybe you know I I should
not give my advice
right now because the the plan seems to
be already made and it's clear yeah so
these are the kind of things that happen
when you understand that okay hold on
you need to kind of hold yourself back
so these are the only things I'm talking
about like in in those crunch moments
because you've been always involved in
taking decisions in those moments it
naturally kicks in again that oh do I
need to take that decision or and then
you realize okay no it's working well
but there have been so many instances in
this season as well when I would run to
farf and tell him you know what I
strongly feel we should do this and he's
been happy enough to take it and he's
been happy enough or or clear enough to
tell me I don't want to do that at this
point of time and again as I said it's
been very very uh but respectful but is
that graciousness even from your end for
him to say no and for you to not sulk
but say cool I'm on board with your idea
does that graciousness kind of is it a
paper you are you paying it forward
because it came to you as well you know
it's I find it because I I somehow feel
like there's so much similarity between
what you spoke about msnu and then you
and Ms and then you and fast and then
fasten you this this similarity between
the stories there it's it's beautiful I
find it very
and don't get me wrong I find it very
amusing and and
surprising that these things are looked
at as something
tremendously great it is the basic
requirement of any team sport right if
no one's bigger than the game so yeah
once you have stepped down from a
responsibility yeah why should you feel
bad about the guy who's in charge
telling you he doesn't want to follow
what you are telling him yeah no one
should feel bad about it I mean I don't
understand why when you say that
oh you know I've had no issues people
say oh wow that's amazing yeah you're
not in that position maybe because
they're measuring you as a personality
maybe and not the way you're looking at
it when you say it's a team sport it
makes sense maybe they just look at the
personality
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even that I mean as a normal person as
well yeah why should it be a matter of
greatness for you to accept
for you for you to listen to to someone
saying no yeah
I mean if
you know that his his intent is in the
right place yeah if someone is doing
something bad with you and you keep
saying okay sir thank you
that is I feel like that is being a
little dumb yeah because you also need
to be smart and aware of the fact that
you need to stand up for yourself right
but here is a case where if someone says
no to your input
because he's convinced about his input
yeah why should anyone feel bad at the
end of the day everyone's working for
the betterment of the team yeah that's
how I've always looked at things that's
why I never felt like I never felt bad
when Emma said no to be or I never felt
bad when he gave me advice yeah but I
was India captain and he never felt bad
either because when the intent is in the
right place you don't need to explain
yourself because there's trust and trust
is the most important thing again I
think I've kind of discussed this do you
sometimes feel Cricket is a lot like art
it is when you play with the right
intent right
of course anything done with the right
intent eventually becomes beautiful
beautiful because you're you're present
every moment and you are doing what is
required for that particular moment yeah
at all times yeah if you're trying to
use your brain all the time to get
something or you know manipulate your
wave through things yeah
then it is it is more measured and
carried it might it might work I've
never played my Cricket like that so I I
wouldn't understand how that feels
um but then again if the fact that you
you
it's a very um
for me everything is based on why you
are doing what you're doing
if you are going to play in any
environment
for some personal gain then you'll be
found out very quickly you might succeed
for a bit yeah but you'll be found out
very quickly because
the same template doesn't work all the
time and how are you able to show
different sides of your personality and
game
is when you're moving with situations
right like what I've understood about
acting through talking to Anushka or
through her explaining things to me that
you have to move with the character to
be able to yeah it's a tour along
exactly if you stick to one thing then
the changes in the life of the character
you won't probably be able to portray
yeah right so Cricket is similar in a
way that you move with the situation and
then you're able to defend for hour and
a half in test Cricket then people say
it's got a great defense but then in the
evening when you need to accelerate you
might get 70 runs in an hour and people
are like wow this aggressive game is
amazing because you are involved in the
situation you're present and you are
reacting to what the situation demands
from you you're not stuck in a way so
that's how different aspects of the game
are always shown on the feed just to uh
touch upon uh this one particular phase
in 2014 uh you know we were doing some
research and we figured that whole
English and then you went back in 2018
and smashed the hell out of them uh 149
was it in that test match yeah so what
was the transformation of what went
through your mind when you went
from like
literally whether our stock market is
right now at the bottom to like a
soaring all-time high how did you do
that again that's very interesting I
mean
so
I kind of started performing very
consistently from 2010 onwards and 2011
is when I made my test debut that
didn't go really well for me
and I was left out of the side and then
I made a comeback at the end of the year
again I was given a few chances scored a
few runs went to Australia
again two horrible test matches to begin
with then I kind of came back on track
had a great test match personally in
Perth
um against
the odds at that point of time you can
say and then I got my first 100 in
Adelaide so
I had kind of
started to you know
just get a hold of my game in the test
level how old were you at that point in
Australia yeah
I was 23.
that's really young yeah that's really
young I mean if
now when I look back at things I
probably I've always been too hard on
myself yeah
but that's that also allowed me to be
very responsible at a very young age
yeah I was made Vice Captain of of the
team at 23. when there were many seniors
in the team as well so that was a a big
confidence booster for me that you know
the people believe in me being here for
a long period of time
um so that made me very confident of
myself
so it was going well 2013 went well and
then 2014
uh the last test tour we had before
going to England was New Zealand and I
got 100 in the last Innings of that tour
there were only two test matches about a
70 and 100 so I was like confident
and we went to England and I thought I
need to prove myself here that was wrong
in the first place because I went there
to prove something that I can play in
these conditions and not go there to
kind of make my team win that wasn't my
focal point my focal point was I need to
prove that I can play here so I was
always under pressure and once things
knocked back I was not able to find a
way out of that so that was a very bad
phase
and what's interesting is from 14 to 18.
I had done everything everywhere in the
world performed in every condition
everywhere in the world but people just
held on to one thing oh but what about
England yeah that's when I realized you
know I probably
played Cricket at a level which
I am certainly very proud of and I have
won so many games for the team
so it's it's again as I said in our last
interview as well it's when you focus on
those things
you are not able to look at yourself in
the way that you should look at yourself
because people
are constantly looking for things which
are not going right because that keeps
conversations going right love it they
want to complain all the time everybody
loves it if you admit yeah this is what
it is this guy is very good he's done
this and that conversation ends you
can't really build onto it you can't
really bring in oh but he's like this
because of this and that and too many
ads and too much this and too much that
and you can't bring all of that into
that conversation so
that was always something which was uh
but what about England so when I went to
England in 20 and by the way I was going
to play county cricket before that
so I was a bit nervous before going to
England because I thought I need to
prepare myself more but then I had a
neck issue in 2018 already and I and I
fell in one of the IPL games and I could
not go there because it got aggravated
and
so I remember a b telling me at that
when I spoke to him as well I'm you know
I'm feeling a bit just a bit jittery
because I'm not able to go to that count
distance and he said this is not 2014
and you're not the same player so you'll
be absolutely fine
I became very calm after that I was like
okay fine maybe I need to believe in
myself a bit more
then we went to England
got used to the conditions the white
ball like white ball tournament happened
before the red ball
and I clearly remember before going to
bat in that first innings
my heart was racing because all I could
think of was flashback flashbacks of
flashes of sorry flashes of 2014.
coming to me again and again
and I'm padded up I have to add next and
then the next Wicket Falls
and I was just trying to control my
heart rate sitting outside so I walked
in
and
um I remember 35 30 35 000 people in
that Stadium
they all started booing when I walked in
and um
so my heart started beating faster and
they have this amazing ability to create
an environment where you feel like I've
got no chance here yeah so I remember
James Anderson was was the guy I was
running into Bull and I was like what
are the odds I have to face the first
ball from him again after four years I
was like please just play the first ball
any any bolded I think it was on fourth
time and I left that ball
um so I became calm after that first
ball and then I got dropped at on 22
actually so these are the things I'm
talking about like
so many things could have gone wrong I
could have been out on 22 in that
Innings yeah but I got dropped and I got
149 and I didn't look back from there so
that's when you realize that you can't
just sit here sit there and and creep
about things that didn't go right a lot
of things that went right A lot of times
you've been dropped in situations where
if you were not
you probably won't be sitting here yeah
it's it's that fickle it's that minute
so
yeah so that Innings happened and then I
just I came back to the room
and uh I was a bit emotional Anushka was
there and she also got a bit emotional
she was feeling very happy for me
because she understood being in the
stadium
yeah after a build over four years and
watching that moment when
everyone she was like my heart was
racing and I could understand how you
feel when you walk into play in that
kind of situation and
we're both very happy and went out for a
nice dinner and yeah it was like so much
weight was lifted off my shoulders
um
there was this story that I think you
told us I don't know did I read it in
passing somewhere about a man sitting
beside you on a flight
they give you about getting a hundred
you spoke about that recently yeah what
is it is a bomb daily to Bombay flight
no it was a it was a flight from Kochi
to
Delhi okay so and there's this corporate
Man City yeah there was this this man
who so we were allotted seats in the in
the front so the whole team sit was
sitting in the front of the plane
and this guy was a huge Ms fan
so he walks in and he gets very excited
looking at him
um he was from Chennai okay so he kept
Tech chances are he's a tech guy then he
was most probably yeah I don't remember
the company he mentioned but yeah he was
most probably so
he went to Ms and he was like a big fan
and this and that so Ms met him nicely
so I clearly remember he started giving
tips to him about captaincy or team
composition or something like that right
because he's a corporate leader of
course yeah so I mean Ms was obviously
very nice to him and
the gentleman's law sort of lost his way
and he just opened up and he just
started saying what he felt so Ms was
quite patient in understanding and
listening to him and then
it's like okay
that's enough now you know we'd like to
just chill as a team and all that so
while he was going
back to his seat I got up to do
something and he saw me he's like uh
Coley
what's going on what's up what's going
on yeah we're on a flight it's gonna
take off hopefully I will so he goes um
no what's going on with your batting
this was after 2014. you know after
England and
again everyone was like oh what's gonna
happen what's he gonna do and this and
that so I'd gotten out in in couple of
one days
and um
he said I said nothing I'm obviously not
scoring runs right now and that's it he
said yeah I know and uh I expected to
get 100 in the next game
so that kind of I was I was young that
kind of flicked the switch and I was
like okay let's have a conversation
I asked him a question I asked him where
do you work he mentioned some company
and
um then I asked him what's your
position in the company and he mentioned
some some kind of manager I don't
understand the the terms but yeah some
kind of in a good position yeah so I
said okay in three months time I want
you to become the chairman of your
company
so he said how is that possible
so that's when I under made him
understand the analogy of putting X Y I
said what I do is not a video game did
you expect me to get out tell the cheat
code on one three one and hit sixes yeah
of course I'm trying to do my best yeah
but because you cannot possibly achieve
what I'm asking you to achieve you can
work for it similarly I'm trying to work
for it as well but if you tell me
standing here that you expect it then
it's putting more and more pressure on
me and you don't want that pressure in
your artwork so why put that pressure on
me so then he understood
um and by the time the whole team
started shouting coach coach coach
because everyone finally came to coach
everyone and then he just laughed it off
and he went back to his seat it was a
fun moment uh glad he had a sense of
humor around him he loved it he loved
the the whole
scene that happened in that 15 minute
period it was amazing I assume knowing
you a fair amount that you're aware that
you're literally one in a billion and
there are very few people I think from
around the world
and from across Sports who probably
achieved and
um hit such a high point in their career
and you're one among them
so you either seek inspiration from
outside or you speak you know seek
inspiration from within I was very
curious because do you ever expect
people to understand what you're going
through or are you aware that okay this
is my battle I gotta sort this out you
know you talk about inspiration and I
have seeked a lot of or I have gotten a
lot of inspiration from
um
home I've seen Anushka how
you know through this phase that has
happened for everyone in the last couple
of years
um we've had a child it's a
unbelievably
life-changing and transforming process
for parents yes but for the mother it's
it's literally life changing completely
authentically yeah and how she has
been so strong through it
and how she has been able to take all
the challenges that have come in her way
um and I've seen everything I have seen
um the transformation happens so that
gave me so much
strength and inspiration
to say you know what what I am probably
experiencing is not even five percent of
what
you know uh she's gone through as a
sacrifice to say I'll give up on this to
focus on something else yeah I mean it
is it is selfless it is it is
unconditional yeah
and um so you need to also put things in
the right perspective you can't you
can't make your issues which seem huge
to you uh in the Forefront uh and and
make them into something you know
catastrophic going on wherein you
realize that
this is this is life I play a sport that
is my profession but when I see the
transformation that happened with her
that for me is life that for me is far
bigger and far I mean you can't even put
it in the same bracket it's not even
comparable because uh it is literally
your life
being given to another life which has to
grow up in front of you so I have seek
so much inspiration from her and the way
she's she's handled herself the way
as I said she's endured all the
challenges that for me is a big has been
a big source of inspiration
um and honestly
the only thing that matters to me is she
understands me and our daughter loves us
unconditionally and it is it is the most
basic requirement for anyone that your
life partner understands you and loves
you for who you are and you have love
with each other and
beyond that you don't need to expect
anyone understanding you to be honest
because for me it doesn't really matter
um
what matters is when I come home
when I when I experience life where am I
placed there and in life I'm in a very
very happy place that's awesome because
I think a lot of people can't separate
profession from personal life right like
I remember uh when we did that uh Mr
nags interview where we spoke about the
form and we both laughed and when it
went out and people said oh my God Virat
Kohli has a sense of humor and I came to
you and I said but I've always thought
you've had a sense of humor
are you just misunderstood a lot or you
think people are just interpreted what
are they interpreting what the
aggression on the field or what is it
um have you ever tried to figure it out
I don't really I don't really know I've
you know what one thing that I know
about myself is I've never tried to
really fit into any kind of system yeah
because I feel like
yes systems are great for
creating a certain
decorum discipline which is required for
yeah the very basic stuff but if you
want to achieve Excellence then I think
you need to you need to keep the system
in mind but not confine yourself to the
system if that makes sense because the
fundamentals come from a system I do I
totally understand that but
you have to play a foundation through
the system but beyond that you have to
build on the foundation to achieve
Excellence maybe because I've always
been very demanding of myself
yeah so I demanded Excellence from
people around me as well yeah
um so I I don't know how that was
perceived I I don't know I don't know
the reasons why
um I've been misunderstood if I have
yeah so it's it's as I said it unless
if you don't really under know a person
yeah if you haven't spent time with them
I can understand people don't really
know how you are in day to day life we
spend a lot of time every year we spend
a lot of time together there's many
moments where
you know you're at ease you're not
competing this and that and you are your
true self
um so you've seen that a lot of people
are fortunate I must say I've been
fortunate to be privy to that and you're
chill I mean so how how I look at it is
um
I'm the same guy that's that's been this
way for
you know forever yeah and I've just
gotten success on the field so the fact
that even you would have looked at me as
someone and then you understood my true
personality and then you're like I'm
fortunate to look at that side yeah but
how I look at things is I've always been
this guy yeah so when people look at me
with that lens of Virat Kohli and this
and that I feel weird I feel awkward
because
that's not who I am my true personality
or who I truly am is what you see off
the field all the time when I go on to
the field that is also a huge part of me
which wants to win at any cost
for that to happen I will demand
Excellence because I'm willing to put
myself on the line at every given moment
um so maybe that was something that was
um maybe a bit a bit difficult for
people to accept one last question about
just game changing or I'd say
life-changing uh in your personal space
uh would you like to share with us like
one moment where
you thought your life had changed
I mean
um
life changing I mean the when my father
passed away there was more like uh
my my Outlook towards things changed my
life did not change as such life around
was
the same that it was before it was
because of that incident it obviously
gave me a lot of resilience and a lot of
um
focus in what I wanted to do in life and
a lot of motivation to realize my dream
but it wasn't life changing in a way
that
my life was completely different after
I was still playing Cricket I was still
doing what I had to do and the
environment was quite similar
I would say
life-changing moment would be when
I met Anushka
because I saw different side of life
it wasn't say similar to my environment
it was a different perspective different
point of view so that was life changing
because when you fall in love
when you love the person that you're
with
you
start
processing those changes within you as
well because you have you have to move
together right you can't be one way or
the other
so to do that you have to open yourself
up to do that you need to accept a lot
of things
um and that for me was life changing
because I changed a lot after I
I met her and we started dating and
because you share ideas you share
experiences you see a different
perspective altogether which I had never
seen in my life Delhi boy
Punjabi household it's copy paste 99 of
the homes the culture is same so this
was different for me which um
urged me to to change for the better
to become more open to become more
accepting of things and understand there
are different
aspects of life and there are different
ways to live life with this similar
intent that you might have but there are
different ways to approach life which
you need to accept and respect so I
would say life-changing moment was when
I met
awesome thank you
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thank you
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