New Delhi, Apr 2:
India captain Virat Kohli on Thursday said he became a better person by playing Test cricket, calling the format a representation of life where one doesn’t have the option of quitting when the going gets tough.
Speaking to former England batsman and IPL teammate Kevin Pietersen during an instagram live, Kohli touched upon his passion for Test cricket, the worst phase of his career, how he turned into a vegan and how much he is filled with gratitude for being able to live a comfortable life during a global crisis like COVID-19.
Asked which is his favourite format, the Indian skipper emphatically replied: “Test cricket, Test cricket, Test cricket, Test cricket and Test cricket. I have said it five times.”
“Because it is the representation of life. Whether you get runs or not, you have to clap when others are batting. You have to go back to your room, get up and come the next day.
“You have to follow the routine whether you like it or not. It’s like life where you don’t have the option of not competing. Test cricket has made me a better person,” said world’s premier batsman, who has 27 hundreds and 7240 runs in 86 games.
Pietersen, a superb Test batsman himself, lauded Kohli for trashing the idea of four-day Tests which the ICC has floated to pull in more crowds.
“I was called for a debate and I told them that if Virat Kohli doesn’t want four day Tests, it’s not happening,” the former England captain said as Kohli had a hearty laugh.
Talking about becoming a better person, Kohli felt that he can count his blessings of having all the comforts in life at a time when the world is reeling under the havoc wreaked by novel coronavirus.
“I am grateful God that I have a place to live at a time when people are struggling for jobs. You just want to sit back and reflect. You are filled with gratitude. We should never sit back and complain about what we don’t have,” he said.
His aggressive on-field demeanour has polarised opinions but the Indian skipper feels that for him, aggression is a form of enjoyment and then comes thinking about strategy.
“I don’t think I need to behave myself just because I am the captain. I need to be abe to enjoy and then comes strategy.”
But there is one guy he will never sledge in his life and that is AB de Villiers, for the simple reason that there is just too much of respect. (PTI)
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