The great Indian batter recounted the experience of achieving an elusive milestone after a two-year drought of international hundred during the Asia Cup.
Virat Kohli recounted the celebration moment after recording his maiden T20I century at the back end of India’s unsuccessful Asia Cup campaign last year and said it was another occasion where he realised not to let the game get the better of him.
In an interesting perspective about the century, for which Kohli initially offered a wry smile before erupting in amusing laughter at breaking a two-year-long international century drought, the batter said he recognised after reaching there that he shouldn’t have been “cribbing” about the hundred as much as he personally did.
The 34-year-old, who has previously also talked about battling with mental daemons during that period and feeling anxious about the lack of big scores at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, stressed upon his biggest lesson from finally posting another ton for the country.
Before he got there, there was this huge build-up around Virat Kohli’s game and his sustained dip at the international stage.
Once a run-machine, the experienced player had been going through a rough time, with his passionate fans wondering when the 71st international ton would finally arrive.
It did and surprisingly in the least expected format of the three.
“The ball before I got to the 100, is the time I felt, oh I am on 94, I could probably get this. And the next ball went for six. But the thing is that as soon as I go the 100, I laughed so hard. I was like, ‘main iske liye ro raha tha 2 saal se? (Was I cribbing about this for 2 years?),” Kohli said in an interview for Puma’s ‘Let there be sport’ show streaming on ‘Disney+Hotstar’.
Also Read – ‘If ACC insists on one venue for Asia Cup, we shall not play’ – PCB chief on Pakistan’s stance
“Like just for this 2 seconds, I let myself go through that? That moment happened, it ended. Next day, the sun goes up again. It wasn’t going to be forever. It’s not like I scored this 100, and I live this moment for the rest of my life. It was so funny, I laughed so hard. I was like, this is all that it,” he added.
Kohli admitted, however, that he did cry his heart out about finally achieving the elusive milestone when he spoke to his wife and famous actress Anushka Sharma.
“Not in that moment, but when I spoke to Anushka… (there were tears),” he said.
