Indian captain Virat Kohli, recently engaged in a conversation with Bangladesh’s talisman Tamim Iqbal on Facebook Live.
The two Asian stalwarts talked about various issues ranging from the current scenario in India and Bangladesh regarding the COVID-19 crises.
Iqbal enquired about the change in Kohli’s technique and temperament when he first arrived in the international scene.
Kohli, who is better known as the ‘Chasemaster’, has been involved in a number of successful run-chases under high pressure.
Tamim asked Kohli about his mindset, strategy and the source of motivation, whenever he gets the opportunity to chase down steep totals.
To which Kohli replied by saying that a few words from Mushy (Mushfiqur Rahim), behind the stumps, helps him get extra motivation.
“Process is simple. Sometimes the likes of Mushy will help too by saying something from behind the stumps, and then I get extra motivation,” Kohli told Tamim.
Also, Kohli spilt beans on him being upset whenever he saw the Indian team fail to chase down total as a kid. Therefore, playing for the country gives him the extra zeal to get the job done with the bat in hand.
“You have to have the confidence that you can do it. I always tell the youngsters that they need to have the confidence that they can do it. When I was young, I used to watch the matches, and I used to be convinced that the matches India did not win, I would have been able to win those matches. I went to bed with that kind of feeling,” the Indian captain added.
Hence, for Kohli, even chasing down monumental totals is a scope of opportunity and not an issue of pressure.
“So, when I am in such a situation [chasing], there is that joy that comes out. That pure intent, I mean. Chasing has a very clear scenario where you know how many runs you need to get and what you need to do to attain that. Even when you need 370 or 380, I feel like it’s gettable,” Kohli concluded.
