Virat Kohli’s Refreshing Break from Cricket of 2 Months: A Personal Journey
Virat Kohli shared insights into his two-month hiatus from cricket, in a recent revelation after his impactful performance against Punjab Kings.
“Just the ability to be together, the connections that you make with your older child, it’s amazing.”
Following his match-winning innings of 77 against the Punjab Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Virat Kohli spoke candidly about the two months he took off after Anushka Sharma, his wife, gave birth to their second child. Due to his family’s vacation, Kohli was unable to play in India’s home Test series against England.
“We weren’t within the nation. We were in an area where not many people knew who we were. Just some family time, to feel normal for two months,” Kohli remarked at the presentation ceremony following the game. For my family and me, it was an unbelievable event.
“Obviously, from a family standpoint, things change drastically when you have two children. Thus, it’s incredible just how much you can interact and spend time with your older child.
“I mean, I couldn’t have been more grateful to God for the opportunity that I got to spend time with my family.”
Kohli mentioned how much he relished not being looked upon as a superstar.
“And yeah, just the place that we were in, I was telling the guys that when we came back, the voices back home felt that much louder,” he continued. “I was just not used to hearing my name for two months, so I was unable to look up. You hear these loud noises right away, and then everything is back to normal.
“However, it was stunning. Being a stranger on the road, going unnoticed, and going about your everyday life as most people do is an incredible experience “, he remarked.
Having played for the RCB since the IPL’s beginning, Kohli also talked about the affection he receives from Bengaluru’s supporters.
“It has been going on for years, and when you play sports, people speak about a lot of other stuff. The accomplishments, the figures, the data. In the end, the statistics and numbers won’t be the first things that come to mind when you reflect. It’s the memories that you make,” Kohli remarked, quoting Rahul Dravid, the head coach of the Indian team.
The same thing is spoken to us by the now-famous Rahul bhai in the changing room. You play with all of your heart because you will miss the moments you spend playing in front of fans in the changing room with your pals.
“I will always remember the relationship that developed naturally over a long period of time. It’s been incredible, simply the support, love, and gratitude I’ve had for so long.”
But Kohli is aware that his style of play needs to adapt to the constantly changing T20 cricket scene.
He talked about hitting quick bowlers over cover instead of playing the grounded cover drive for which he is so well-known, saying, “Well, I mean you have to [make additions to your game].”
“With guys like KG [Kagiso Rabada] and Arshdeep Singh, who is tall, they won’t let me hit gaps because they know I can play the cover drive very well. You have to impart some momentum to the ball if they are hitting it long.
“And when you get closer to the ball, the inevitable bounce is kind of eliminated. You have already met it. Before kindly reminding everyone, Kohli remarked, “So, you have to come up with a game plan here and there and try to keep improving your game.”
“I am aware that, in many regions of the world, my name is now closely associated with just promoting T20 cricket. I suppose I still have it, though.”
