Virat Kohli turns 31: A throwback to his first-ever TV interview

Virat Kohli is an inspiration for many young cricketers of this generation. Not only is he a run machine with the bat, but he has also set and broken various records on his way to achieving legendary status. However, before debuting on the international platform, Kohli had made quite a name for himself in Delhi’s first-class circuit and he made his Ranji Trophy debut at the age of 18 against Tamil Nadu in November 2006.

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He did not have great start scoring just 10 runs in his debut innings, but his knock in the second innings showed how strong-headed he was. After losing his father during the match, Kohli decided to come back and play for his state team, scoring an impressive 90 runs to save his team the match.

Virat Kohli's first on-camera interview

As the Indian captain turned 31 on Thursday, we rewind the clock and look at his first recorded interview on television.

In the year 2007, when Team India was about to play the 50-over World Cup in West Indies, Kohli along with his Delhi teammate Puneet Bisht were interviewed by a leading news channel on their analysis of Team India’s 2007 World Cup squad and whether they could win under the leadership of Rahul Dravid. During the interview, he showed a glimpse of his sharp cricketing brain.

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During the interview, Kohli was asked about Team India, to which he replied that success can be determined by how well the Indian players gel together and perform as a unit. He also spoke about the controversial statement made by former selector Dilip Vengsarkar on the inclusion of Virender Sehwag in the side. Replying to the question, Kohli said that the selector should have never made such a statement as it can hurt the mindset of a player.

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He also gave an insight into Team India's strategy of playing an extra batsman in place of five bowlers. During the interview, he said that India has not been able to defend well in the past. 

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Kohli was also asked whether cricketers faced the pressure of media, to which he replied that media pressure will always be there no matter how big a player is. Even the likes of Sachin Tendulkar had to face it. And once it starts to affect a player, psychologically it does have an impact.