A Project Work for Class XII

                         An Interview with Virat Kohli

Interviewer:  Thank you so much for meeting with me today Sir, You had a good run in the test series and one day series as well against Sri Lanka, any think had you talk about.

Virat Kohli:  Thank you, you are certainly welcome, it is amazing to lead the team and you know how the team has changed altogether. I think it is the hunger of all the cricketers. They have so much talent. We were watching every ball and played well. 

Interviewer :But why couldn’t we get it right?

Virat Kohli:  For much of the year, we were a team in transition, with not everybody being high on experience... It’s not that we didn’t win at all, we won in Sri Lanka, beat New Zealand at home... But, yes, we didn’t have the momentum for a period of time. We have to continue it for a long time.

Interviewer:  Did you find yourself under too much pressure?

Virat Kohli:  Things can change quickly in cricket... One day you’re regarded as being out of form, two innings later you’re in great form! I did feel the pressure of expectations in the last IPL, after my performances in Australia and during the Asia Cup in Dhaka... I guess I also put myself under plenty of pressure.

Interviewer:  Then?

Virat Kohli:  I got out of it on the July-August tour of Sri Lanka... Told myself that being stressed doesn’t help and that the results would come as long as I kept working hard.

Interviewer:  So, what did that phase teach you?

Virat Kohli:  That nobody can be consistent all through the 12 months, that one needs to be patient... To allow four-five innings (of low scores) to pass. I also realised that I had far more responsibility towards the team, that people were looking up to me. I accepted that failures are going to be there and, if a country is used to winning, then defeats will come as a shock.

Interviewer:  Did you feel the pressure more during the T20 Internationals and the ODIs against Pakistan?

Virat Kohli:  You don’t look at a series as being against team X or team Y... Your preparations are the same, for you’ve always got to give yourself the best chance. If the previous series hasn’t been good, then you look to get better... Sulking won’t get you anywhere.

Interviewer:  Going back to 2012, what did you learn the most over the 12 months?

Virat Kohli:  That it’s important to be at one level emotionally... It’s important to be stable as a person. A sense of insecurity could creep in, something not unnatural, but you’ve got to take things on the chin. It’s important to have space for yourself, it’s important to be positive in the mind. In fact, that’s very important.

Interviewer:  Did you grow both as a cricketer and as a person?

Virat Kohli:  I did, yes... I became more confident, had more faith in my abilities... Responsibility teaches you things... You become more responsible when you see the opposition being wary of you.

Interviewer:  The year also saw Team India getting much stick. Did that hurt you, as a regular member across the formats?
Virat Kohli:  It’s not a good feeling when there’s criticism, but nobody has an issue with constructive criticism. Yes, as a team, we needed to step up... But I’d like to add that the dressing room remained calm. I’d like to treat it (last year) as a passing phase. For Indian cricket, 2013 is the year to move forward.

Interviewer:  Are you in the habit of making new year resolutions?

Virat Kohli:  (Laughs) Where’s the time? Also, what if you make resolutions and can’t fulfil them? It’s not a resolution, but I’d be happy to improve on my 2012 performances. Indeed, a 10 per cent improvement would please me.

Interviewer:  Has life changed drastically?

Virat Kohli:  It has changed, but I probably didn’t realise it initially... Having said that, life could well change the other way if I don’t perform... I’d rather it stays this way!

Interviewer:  You’re being tipped as the next India captain. Your thoughts?

Virat Kohli:  Thinking of the captaincy would be a distraction... As I’ve told you, at this stage in my career, I can do without distractions. I’ll be satisfied if I can meet the expectations of the team.

Interviewer:  Are you getting impatient to replace Mahendra Singh Dhoni?

Virat Kohli:  Oh, no way. My teammates and I respect him... He’s groomed youngsters like me and, if the team has a bad year, how can you hold the captain alone responsible? But you must have been delighted to hear Sunil Gavaskar declare that you’re ready for the top job... Sure... Coming from Mr Gavaskar, it did feel good... That one comment (after the final Test against England) lifted my confidence... Made me more aware of my responsibilities as well.

Interviewer:  Is there something you’ve learnt from Dhoni, where captaincy goes?

Virat Kohli:  I’d love to have MS’ calmness and composure... I’ve never seen him stressed... He’s been so composed even in the most difficult of situations. While remaining an aggressive cricketer, I’d still like to have his calmness. It’s reassuring.

Interviewer:  What goes into the making of an ideal captain?

Virat Kohli:  I doubt if there’s one person who could be called the ideal captain... Everyone has his ways, but it’s important for a captain to create the right environment, to encourage the right atmosphere in the dressing room... Nurturing talent is an important part of any captain’s job, encouraging those with potential... Of course, a captain must be stable (emotionally).

Interviewer:  How best could one describe Virat Kohli?

Virat Kohli:  Oops! The best way... Someone hungry for runs, perhaps.

Interviewer:  Does your mother, Saroj, still treat you like a kid?

Virat Kohli:  Absolutely... For her, I’m just Virat, her son... I love going home, to my mother and my Beagle (Bruno). My mother helps me stay grounded, while few things are better than being welcomed home by your pet.

Interviewer:  Do you have strong likes and fierce dislikes?
Virat Kohli:  Oh, yeah... I dislike people who put on an act, people who are fake... I don’t like being in contact with people who want to meet you only for their own good... I have a close set of friends and am most comfortable being with them... For them, I’m their old friend, not the Virat who has achieved a few things.

Interviewer:  Likes?

Virat Kohli:  I’m fond of cars, I’m a gaming freak... Then, I love Bruno.

Interviewer:  But hasn’t your celebrity status kept you away from doing a few things?

Virat Kohli:  At times you do feel that you’re missing some things, but a professional sportsman has to make sacrifices. At the end of the day, though, I’d rather be like this than in a position where I can just walk over to the nearest ice creamwallah every day! You’ve quickly earned the label of the hottest ladies’ man... (Laughs) Don’t think about such labels... People can call me what they want.

Interviewer:  The final one... Sachin Tendulkar is through with ODIs... What’s it like not having him in the dressing room?

Virat Kohli:  We miss him... Initially, it was a kind of weird feeling... Sachin brought about calmness... One could talk to him and relax... He was there for you.

Interviewer:  Virat Kohli, who scored a match-winning 122 in the first ODI at Pune to take India to their second highest successful chase in ODIs told Sky Sports that it was an honour for him to become India's captain in all three formats.

Virat Kohli:  "Growing up it was my dream to play for India, I never thought I will become India's captain in one format, let alone all three, so it is an absolute honour to get the responsibility," the 28-year old said.

Interviewer:  When asked about how he manages his time, given the fact that he plays non-stop cricket, is the captain of the team and also has several commercial commitments, Kohli said that he is able to manage his time well as he is not close to too many people.

Virat Kohli:  "Luckily I am not close to many people and that helps me in managing my time well. As a cricketer I always look to discover my maximum ability whether on the field or when it comes to managing time for other activities. It is important to not limit yourself. The day I get burnt out may be then I will start putting limits on myself. Till now I have been able to strike a good balance," the Indian captain told Sky Sports.

Interviewer:  Kohli, who scored bagful of runs last season said that it was his dream season as a batsman in all formats of the game. "I have seen people have great seasons and 2016 was one such year for me. I didn't over practice and was confident about tackling whatever was thrown at me. Performing consistently is never easy and for that you need to erase the last performance and start afresh, luckily I am excited about a cricket match everytime I step onto the field," Kohli told Sky Sports commentator Nasser Hussain. You are the most successful Indian cricketer in recent times. Life has changed quite a lot, hasn’t it?

Virat Kohli:  Yes, it has. Especially in the last two years. I’m just settling in now. Earlier, it was very difficult for me to think of not going home in between a series, not getting to spend time at home. But now, I sort of got used to it and my family has started to understand all these things much better. I know it’s going to be hectic now, but it’s a good change (smiles).

Interviewer:  How do you balance cricket and the commitments off the field?

Virat Kohli:  I am very professional in what I do in cricket. Earlier, I used to waste a lot of time on shoots just joking around. Now my priority is to come on time, do the best I can, make the people with whom I have commitments happy and be a total professional on that front, too. I have changed because the kind of work I have done in the past two years has also increased. I thought I should get a bit more serious about focusing on finishing [the work] quickly (laughs).

Interviewer:  Tell us about your change into a focused and disciplined cricketer¯something all have been talking about.

Virat Kohli:  I went through the same stuff that every cricketer goes through when he comes in. You are insecure about your place, you make mistakes in your desperation. You want to do really well and you don’t really control yourself on and off the field. It’s hard and it happened to me in the first IPL. After that, I realised people had recognised that I do have some sort of talent; that they were saying things like ‘you should get focused, work hard on your game’ because they had seen something in me. It took me time to realise that. I think 2009, when I was left out of the team, was the time when it really hit me hard. I decided not to waste my talent, to work hard, try to get back into the team and completely focus on the game. That’s exactly what I did. Since that day, I have tried to grab opportunities. God has been kind and I have performed whenever I got an opportunity. Now I’m growing every day as a cricketer and as a person. It has been a lovely journey for me to actually learn all this while playing cricket, rather than wasting years not focusing on the sport and realising later that I could have done something special. Luckily, I don’t have any regrets now.

Interviewer:  Has coming in at number 3 in ODIs helped you?

Virat Kohli:  Yeah, it has. Early on, when I used to play down the order, I used to think I might not get many opportunities. I always wanted to be the best in every innings I played. I want to be the best when I go out to play for India¯that has always been my aim. But, obviously, you don’t get to do that when you are batting at a position where you don’t get many overs to play. So yes, [batting at number 3] gave me a platform to realise my potential. I didn’t know what I could do as a cricketer till I started playing at number three. I grabbed the chance and I really matured as a cricketer and a person. I never knew I could win games for India single-handedly. I went out there and just expressed myself. That’s when I [realised] that I had the ability to do something special for the team and that I should carry on and stick to my strengths.

Interviewer:  You are batting at number 4 in Tests, which used to be Sachin Tendulkar’s position. Everybody believes you could well be the one to surpass Sachin’s record, in ODIs at least.

Virat Kohli:  (Laughs) He played 200 Test matches. In this day and age, it’s impossible to play 200 Tests. He started when he was 16; I started playing Tests when I was 22. There is nothing to compare. This is a person I have idolised. I’ve been lucky to play with him, so I don’t feel the pressure of those comparisons. I know what he has done to be there. When you haven’t played with someone and then people compare you [with him], then you get that weird feeling. But knowing [Sachin], I know where I stand and I know where he is.

Interviewer:  You have shared the dressing room with quite a few greats. Has Sachin’s influence been the biggest?

Virat Kohli:  Sachin’s influence has been absolutely immense. I have had the highest regard for all those senior cricketers who have done so well for the country but I haven’t idolised any of them. I have utmost respect for Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman, Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir¯all these guys have won games, but I haven’t idolised any of them, to be honest. I have only idolised one person and that is Sachin Tendulkar. For me, to actually be able to speak to him, to get to know him¯that has had a major impact on my life.

Interviewer:  Are you still a work in progress?

Virat Kohli:  You never stop learning. That’s one thing I have learnt from the great man himself. If you are playing international cricket, you might have one good season playing a particular way. But other teams will sort you out [eventually]. They will know your strengths and will come up with plans when you play them next time. So you constantly improve to be ahead of the opposition. So, yes, I’m settling into a mode now. I’m pretty sure about my game but, as I said, when you find out that the opposition will try to get you out in a particular way, you go to the nets and sort things out.

Interviewer:  How do you prepare for a series, especially an away series such as in South Africa?

Virat Kohli:  My strength is never to bat for hours in the nets. My strength is to bat for some time in the nets and work more on visualisation. For South Africa, I visualised scoring a Test hundred every day of the three months before the tour. Whenever I was training, I pushed myself, told myself that you are going to go from 80 to 100 or 100 to 150. I used to push myself like that even while on the treadmill or doing my fitness training. All that came together [in South Africa], and that’s when I realised why all the greats in the world visualise so much. I have heard that Roger Federer meditates and visualises his games¯how he will play his match against the next opponent. Visualisation is a huge part of my preparation and that really is the driving force for me to go out and perform.

Interviewer:  You have scored Test centuries in Adelaide, Johannesburg and Wellington. Where would you place them in terms of the challenges you faced and satisfaction you derived?

Virat Kohli:  I think the most satisfying would be Adelaide [in 2012] even now. I was criticised a lot in the first two Tests. [It was said] I can’t play Test cricket and certain people didn’t want me to play in the eleven, but the coach and the captain backed me throughout. I did well in Perth and then the Adelaide hundred happened. It was my first Australia tour and it was a difficult phase for all of us. If you see a guy like your idol [Sachin] or Laxman walk out [of the field] when you are walking in to bat in a tough situation, it’s mentally very challenging. For me, to block all that and to actually focus on my game and get a hundred is most satisfying. The most special, though, would be Johannesburg [last year]. There was so much hype, so much talk about the short ball. I got hit and there were videos all over of that incident. I was targeted, sort of. I knew I would be, because they [the Proteas] wanted my focus to shift. They wanted to get me out early, so that [century] was special.

Interviewer:  Have you ever been in the zone?

Virat Kohli:  I was in the zone in Johannesburg. The conditions were tough, the wicket was quick, we had lost two wickets for 20 runs and I was walking in to bat. I told myself to be tough and throughout my innings, I hardly said a word to my partner. I didn’t even look at the fielders. I was looking at the ground and focusing on what I had to do. And I think that was one of the most flawless innings I have played in my life till now.

Interviewer:  What is your approach to playing the game, especially at a time when India is being very defensive in Tests abroad?

Virat Kohli:  My approach used to be out-and-out aggression, but now it’s more of controlled aggression. I have learnt to channel my aggression¯where to express it and where to conserve it. Earlier, I used to waste my energy unnecessarily. Now I control it. When I am batting I am quite intense and focused on what I have to do. On the field, I am 100 per cent committed to every ball I have to field. Being intense on the field is my thing.

Interviewer:  The more you do well, the more time you spend in the limelight. How do you deal with it in personal life?

Virat Kohli:  Well, it’s something people can focus on and have some fun with (laughs). I don’t like to talk about my personal life. If people find any kind of amusement from it, well…. My family only worries about what I feel and what I’m happy with. Neither me nor my family pays attention to all this too much. All that matters is what I feel and how happy my family is knowing that I am happy, too.

Interviewer:  How difficult is it when, despite having a player at his peak, the team fails to win matches?

Virat Kohli:  Well, you cannot control the results. I like to focus on the next game I have to play.

Interviewer:  A lot of great cricketers put a premium on their performances abroad. How important is it for you to perform well outside India?

Virat Kohli:  I once heard Dravid saying his aim was to perform well outside India. That was the bar he set. For an Indian player, or for one from the subcontinent, [performances abroad] are something that you are measured with. That’s something that has stuck with me.

Interviewer:  Without proof that was like a competition going one between like a competition going one between fielders ballers even from the batter’s I mean the intensity we saw, I mean almost Indian team crossed South Africa so well the last match playing in the mind that we have to compensate for that also and we have to do and we have to do well today and little bit on your conversation with Dhony I saw losts of time you went there for field sitting and chatting how does that help you as a captain.

Virat Kohli:  I mean his inputs all obviously always very precise very helpful at any stage of the game as I said even the large game we discussed the part-timers and he is the one who mentioned it and then I thought you yeah why not I mean you know let’s give bowlers and break it probably might be feeling the pressure and the part-timers have nothing to lose so that actually slowed the game down also today as well it was all about you know asking him whether to keep the sleep in there long enough for you know what does he think of the fields just taking assurance I mean you obviously want to do that you don’t want to feel isolated out there yes you’re making the decisions but the impute from such experienced players are priceless at any stage of the day.

Interviewer:  Do you fill comfortable as a captain with Dhony?

 Virat Kohli:  Yeah, I feel very much comfortable with him, I mean the intensity was really good. I said this is open about already, we wanted to improve on it and we got it. I mean even with the bat another way Shakhar but it was really great to see I mean you know obviously I had to hold one and and I ‘ve always done that job for the team but to have him play, his natural game play freaks we get boundaries regularly you know that really easy the situation out for the whole team in last six or seven matches. So I’m glad he backed himself and played exactly the way he did in the last game and yeah it was, I can’t pinpoint any negatives from today honestly it’s probably I would say almost complete game yet.

Interviewer:  Thank you so much for your time it was truly an honour meeting you.

Virat Kohli:  Thank you as well it was a pleasure conversing with you.