Published 19:00 IST, September 20th 2019
Virat Kohli: Know how the skipper became successful through commitment
Virat Kohli is currently the World's Number One ODI batsman. The Indian captain has improved on his game a lot through the years, read more to know about him
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Virat Kohli is one of the best batsmen in modern cricket. The Indian captain is ranked number two in Tests and number one in ODIs in the current ICC Rankings. Virat, who now has 43 ODI centuries, is the only current batsman who is predicted to outscore Sachin Tendulkar's 100 International centuries. However, like most journeys, becoming the elite batsman that he is today was not easy for Virat. After a tough England tour in 2014, where he managed to only score 134 runs in 10 innings, Virat worked very hard to get out of that slump and achieve the heights that he has.
Working on technical details
Virat Kohli has been hailed for his willingness to change his technique so that he could achieve better results throughout his career. During media interaction, the batsman mentioned that he thoroughly worked on details like his stance, grip and his mental approach towards the game. Virat has mentioned how he used to spend three hours every day, batting, even though it used to give him cramps frequently. He also worked on loosening his wrists so that he could play the yorker, better.
Consulting cricketing experts
Virat made wise choices when he chose the people he asked for help. Virat, in his earlier interviews, has mentioned that he approached Sachin Tendulkar, who helped him adopt a more fearless mindset towards pace-bowling. It tremendously helped Virat get over his premeditated fears when it came to facing fast bowlers. Being a keen observer, Virat observed his RCB teammate AB de Villiers, in a match India and South Africa were playing. He noticed how AB's head was still when he played Jasprit Bumrah and tried to emulate that. The slight tweaks to his stance made Virat play a lot better.
A healthier lifestyle
Virat Kohli often credits his healthy lifestyle for the improvement that his game has seen. Virat has disciplined himself with his food choices and sticks to healthy food, only. Kohli also trains hard at the gym and is disciplined with how he approaches his fitness. During a YouTube chat show, Virat also credited his now-wife, Anushka Sharma, for helping him through tough times by staying by his side and counselling him. After memorable performances like the 2016 IPL, where he scored 973 runs, which included four hundreds, it can be safely concluded that Virat's efforts have not gone in vain.
14:31 IST, September 20th 2019