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Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli says he’s not immune to the anxiety that comes with performance pressure, admitting that consecutive ducks in the last couple of IPL matches had left him a bit nervous.
Kohli, 37, roared back to form on Wednesday night with an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by six wickets to climb to the top of the table.
It was a record-extending ninth IPL hundred for Kohli. It was also his first IPL century since 2024. “The fact that I didn’t get many runs in the last two games was, it eats me up in a way that I know I can play well and I’m hitting the ball well. But when you don’t carry on and you know you haven’t created the impact for the team, it bothers you because that’s basically been the goal all these years… trying to improve so that you can be the best version for your team when you play out there and make an impact,” Player of the Match Kohli told the host broadcaster after the win on Wednesday night.
Kohli admitted that he was a bit uneasy after being dismissed for ducks in the previous two outings, but insisted that failures like these also play a role in a player’s growth. “There’s a reason people say ‘Pressure is a privilege, it keeps you humble’. Good pressure always helps you improve your game. A couple of games that do not go your way, you feel a bit of nervousness and that helps you. It takes a lot of effort, but it helps your game go up. Those failures are so important because that puts you in a place to get back [to doing your best],” he added.
Despite his almost two decade-long career in international cricket, the veteran batter insisted that he still loves everything about it. “I just love batting. What an honour to be competing at this level and against the very best still. I just give my heart and soul out there because it’s going to finish one day. I want to make the most of it, and look forward to pressure situations, where I am feeling the heat and then I challenge myself to just go for it. Even after all these years, it’s the love for the game. I just love hitting the ball in the middle of the bat. That joy is still there and it’s all God’s grace, and I’m thankful and grateful,” he concluded.
14,027
Total runs scored by Virat Kohli in T20s; the first Indian to reach the 14,000-run mark and the fastest ever (409 innings) to reach this milestone
21
No. of Player of the Match awards for Virat Kohli in IPL — the joint-most by an Indian, alongside Rohit Sharma
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