Virat Kohli on EatSure Presents RCB Podcast Full Episode | Game Changers

Summary

In 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

00:00

🏏 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.

05:02

🤔 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.

10:04

💪 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.

15:05

🌳 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.

20:06

🏆 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.

25:07

🤝 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.

30:07

🛑 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.

35:07

🎨 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.

40:11

🚀 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.

45:12

💡 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.

Keywords

💡Flashbacks

Flashbacks refer to the sudden recollection of past events, often triggered by a current situation. In the video, the speaker mentions experiencing flashbacks of 2014 before going to bat, indicating the psychological impact of past performances on his current mindset. This concept is central to understanding the mental challenges faced by athletes.

💡Heart rate

Heart rate is the number of times a heart beats per minute and is an indicator of emotional state and physical exertion. The speaker describes trying to control his heart rate due to nerves and excitement, highlighting the physiological response to high-pressure situations in sports.

💡Environment

Environment here refers to the setting or conditions in which an event occurs. The speaker talks about the ability of the crowd to create an environment that feels hostile or overwhelming, emphasizing the impact of external conditions on an individual's performance.

💡Mentorship

Mentorship is a relationship in which a more experienced or knowledgeable person guides another. The video discusses the importance of seeking advice from senior players like MS Dhoni, who has been a mentor to the speaker, illustrating the value of mentorship in personal and professional development.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties. The speaker recounts a phase in his career where he had to be resilient and perform well despite previous failures, showing the importance of mental strength in overcoming challenges.

💡Visualization

Visualization is a technique used to create a mental image or concept of something. The speaker mentions the power of visualization in helping him believe in his abilities and perform well in a critical match, demonstrating the role of positive thinking in achieving success.

💡Captaincy

Captaincy refers to the leadership role in a sports team. The video discusses the transition of captaincy from MS Dhoni to the speaker and the mutual respect and guidance that continued between them, highlighting the significance of leadership and its impact on team dynamics.

💡ICC Trophies

ICC Trophies refer to the awards given by the International Cricket Council for various formats of the game. The speaker reflects on not winning an ICC trophy as captain and how it was perceived as a failure, despite other successes, indicating societal and media pressures on leadership and success.

💡Transition

Transition refers to a change from one state or condition to another. The speaker talks about his transition from being a captain to a regular player, describing the adjustment process and the shift in responsibilities, which is a key theme in understanding the complexities of leadership and team roles.

💡Intent

Intent refers to the purpose or reason behind an action. The video emphasizes the importance of playing with the right intent, meaning focusing on the process and team success rather than personal gain, which is a central message in the speaker's approach to the game.

💡Personal Gain

Personal gain refers to the benefit or advantage one seeks for oneself. The speaker contrasts playing with the right intent against playing for personal gain, suggesting that the latter can lead to a lack of authenticity and a negative impact on performance.

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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