Saturday 28 / December / 2024
Bengaluru: Ahead of India's match against the Netherlands in the 45th match of the ODI World Cup 2023 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, former 'Men in Blue' skipper Virat Kohli opened up on his remarkable shot against Pakistan, which was called the 'Shot of the Century' by the ICC.
Speaking exclusively to Star Sports, Virat Kohli recalled his famous shot, which broke the internet in his match against Pakistan and was termed the 'Shot of the Century' by the ICC at the T20 World Cup.
"I have seen this a lot of times, but these small things in the middle are very special because, obviously, you have lived through these moments but haven't seen them again. Just those little moments are something that I'm very, you know, nostalgic about, and in a good way. You know what you did, and that moment got captured in some way and someone has seen it," Kohli said.
In the match against Pakistan at the World Cup, Kohli and Hardik Pandya helped India get back on track, but the required rate was still high. However, Kohli proceeded to hit two magnificent sixes off Haris Rauf to clinch a win against their arch-rivals.
Virat Kohli also credited higher powers at play when he hit the 'Shot of the Century'.
"You will realize this in a moment. If anyone came up to me and said when I was 10 that, at 35, I would be here if anyone claimed that they knew what was going to happen in writing and signed it, I would have given them everything. If they knew what my 25-year journey would be and that it happened to have reached here, that is a larger package; it is a compressed version. I didn't know what was going to happen or how it would happen. It just happened; I can't sit here and claim it. That is a larger package and that is an injustice to what I felt that night. I can never forget it in my life. Never. And that is the reason people who saw it felt the same thing. It wasn't like someone said it or claimed it; the moment had purity, and everyone felt it," he added.
Kohli also spoke on how he has challenged himself as a cricketer to always improve on his game and how he feels that it is this mentality that has allowed him to excel in his career.
"I think you can call it that for sure. There is one thing that is practised: technique and skill. There is one where you think about techniques that you can use to win the match or if I can play like this, this is an improvement for sure," said Kohli.
The ace batter also spoke on improvement in batting skaills. He said, "A lot of people don't know this about the improvement of batting. Improvement happens when you think about what you can add to your game to win the match. You don't do it to become a complete batsman. Very few people know that to technically look good, you don't practice; it is so that I can learn a new shot and score runs for the team and win the match. I can cover all the spaces and score runs, and that should be the motivation. I think that's a nice way to put it; no one has given me perspective about this thing, but it feels like it is certainly a gift. It is not something that I will ever claim; I can only feel grateful. I mean, how can you not feel grateful? You're part of a moment that you felt was so pure and intense at the same time, and you were chosen to be there in the execution of that moment. If I have seen such a moment, I will remember Sachin sir's sixes in Sharjah in the World Cup. And I'm in that moment, so I remember when this happened as well; everything comes to your mind."
In the ongoing ODI World Cup, India has maintained great form and stayed unbeaten after playing eight matches in the tournament. The 'Men in Blue' stand at the top of the World Cup standings with 16 points.
