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India’s senior batsman, Virat Kohli, is preparing hard for the high-voltage Cricket World Cup, which is scheduled to begin in October in India. Each team will play nine league matches, one against every other team. After which, the top four teams will qualify for the semi-finals.
Amidst all the talk about this World Cup, Virat Kohli took a walk down memory lane and spoke about his experience of the 2011 World Cup, which India won in heroic fashion. The World Cup is back in India after 12 years, and Virat Kohli, who was 23 back then, is now 34 years old and will feature in his fourth World Cup this year.
During a promotional event, Kohli stated that winning the 2011 World Cup was his career highlight. He further stated that, as he was just 23 back then, he did not fully understand the magnitude of the win. But 12 years later, he is 34, has played in two more editions of the World Cup, and can finally understand the emotions of all his senior players in the 2011 squad.
“All the more for Sachin Tendulkar, as it was his last World Cup. He had already played many World Cups by then, and to win it in Mumbai, his hometown was very special for him. I mean, it was stuff from dreams. And that night after the WC win, in itself, was something magical,” mentioned Kohli as quoted by PTI.
When asked about the pressure he is facing before this year’s World Cup, Kohli replied, "The pressure is always there. The fans always say we want the team to win a cup very badly. I'd like to say no more than me. So, I'm in the right place. Honestly, I know the expectations and the emotions of the people are there. He also stated that nobody wants to win the Cup more than the players, not even the fans.
The 34-year-old also reflected on the pressure during the 2011 edition. He said, "I remember the amount of pressure there was on all the players when we were travelling. Thankfully, there was no social media back then. It would have been a nightmare, honestly.” He also stated that wherever the team went (airports and hotels), there was just one thing– ‘We need to win the Cup’
Before the World Cup, though, the Indian team has to go through another challenge, the Asia Cup, which will serve as a warm-up, ahead of the marquee event. India will start the continental championship with a high-pressure game against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 2 in Sri Lanka.
