The former skipper ended his 18-year wait for the IPL trophy.
When it dawned on Virat Kohli that he was finally an Indian Premier League (IPL) champion, there were tears in his eyes. He was fielding near the boundary against Punjab Kings, with two more legal deliveries to bowl. It was understandable how Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) longest-serving captain and the only player to remain with the team from the first season was going through it.
Despite being one of the most revered figures in cricket in the current generation, Kohli had to wade through nearly a decade of ridicule and criticism to win the elusive trophy. Leg-spinner Karn Sharma had seen Kohli’s burning desire to win at all costs as his teammate and as an opponent over the years.
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He remembered the atmosphere in the Indian dressing room during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2014-15 when Kohli was fully committed to chasing down a target of 364.
“The mentality difference [with Virat] is that he walks onto the ground only to win, no matter the situation. For example, my international debut was against Australia. In the second innings, I think we had to chase over 300. In the dressing room, people were unsure what to do. He said, ‘No, we’ll go for the chase,’” Karn told in an exclusive interview with Cricxtasy.
WATCH THE FULL KARN SHARMA EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW HERE
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Kohli went on to score two hundreds in both innings and almost single-handedly dragged India to a famous victory. India lost the match by 64 runs, but it laid the foundation for the team mentality under Kohli’s full-time captaincy.
“Whatever the situation, he won that match almost single-handedly. That level of attitude, it’s special. Even now, he could choose to just bat and sit out, but no—he fields, motivates the bowlers, runs around during overs,” he added.
He also gave a glimpse into how Kohli’s personality remains switched on for the entirety of the game.
“For 15 to 20 overs straight, his commitment is visible. After achieving so much, if he still shows this level of commitment for the team and his players, that’s a big thing for the long run,” Karn said.
Karn, who had played for Chennai Super Kings and recently reached the playoffs with Mumbai Indians, explained one common thread between the likes of Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and MS Dhoni that keeps them relaxed despite having all eyes on them.
“He’s [Kohli] full-time fun. Whether he’s batting on the ground or in the dressing room, he’s always up for fun. He can’t sit quietly. No matter what you talk to him about, he will engage. Any cricketer who’s met him would say the same, because we’ve met such cricketers. If a friend is around, Rohit bhai is like that. Dhoni bhai is like that. Virat is like that. All the big names—we joke around all the time. It’s not like we’re always serious. When it’s time to be serious, we are. But otherwise, it’s full of fun,” Karn said.
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