Virat Kohli has admitted that his 'ego' got the better of him as he struggled to get going during the recent T20 World Cup where India emerged as champions. Kohli wasn’t at his best, consistently getting out for low scores, while fellow opener and team captain Rohit Sharma delivered impressive performances. Kohli opened up about his struggles during an interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had invited India’s World Cup winning squad to his official residence on Thursday morning.
“First of all, thank you so much for inviting us,” Kohli began. “This day (T20 World Cup final) will always stay with me because during the entire tournament, I wasn’t able to contribute to the level I wanted to (for the team).” He continued, “There was a point when I told Rahul bhai (Rahul Dravid) that I am not doing justice to myself and the team. He replied, ‘When the situation demands, I am confident you will perform’. So the kind of tournament I had, I wasn’t confident that I would be able to bat the way I wanted to during the final.”
Kohli revealed a crucial conversation he had with Rohit Sharma during the final match against South Africa after he hit three boundaries in the very first over bowled by Marco Jansen. “So when I struck three fours in four deliveries, I told Rohit, ‘What a game this is! One day you feel like not being able to score a single run and then there’s another when everything starts working out.’ I had to surrender myself to the situation when we lost three wickets. I was only focused on what’s important for the team,” Kohli recalled.
A Moment of Reflection and Surrender
Reflecting on the pivotal moments of the final, Kohli said, “I felt that I have been pushed into that zone, and I can’t explain the reason behind it. Later, I realized, what’s destined will happen. How we won the match, how it turned around, we can’t explain what was going through our minds. At one point, we had lost hope, and then Hardik took that wicket (of Heinrich Klaasen). We got back into the groove with each delivery. I am happy to have contributed on such a big occasion. I will never forget this.”
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In response to PM Modi’s question about his family's reaction, Kohli mentioned that the time zone difference prevented much interaction.
“The good thing is, there was a sizeable time difference, so I didn’t talk to my family much. My mother ends up getting worried,” he said.
Kohli revealed his realization that his ego had taken over, affecting his performance. “I realized when you feel you can do anything, your ego takes over and the game pulls away from you. I had to keep my ego aside. The situation was such that I had to keep my pride aside for the team. When you respect the game, it respects you. That’s what I experienced,” he concluded.
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