Virat Kohli will play his 100th Test match on Friday when he takes to the field against Sri Lanka in Mohali. He will be the 12th Indian and 71st cricketer to reach the milestone, which is a sign of a player’s quality and longevity. Kohli is on the cusp of completing 8000 runs in Test cricket as well. This will be his first Test as a player since 2014, as he resigned his captaincy at the Test in India after the South Africa series. In the meantime, he became India’s most successful Test captain in terms of wins and win rate. The Kohli era in Indian test cricket will go down in history as one of the most glorious as he won every series he captained at home and several fine victories away from home, including a first series win in Australia.
He spoke about his journey in an interview with the BCCI. Here is the full transcript of the interview:
“I honestly never thought I would play 100 test games. It’s been a long journey, I’ve played a lot of cricket over the course of these 100 test games. So I’m just grateful that I was able to make it to 100. I said, knowing how much cricket is played these days, God has been kind, I have worked very hard on my fitness.
“It’s a big moment for me, my family and my coach, who I think is also very happy and proud of this test match. It’s a very special moment for me.
“I think my first test match 100 is something I remember very well and it’s still very fresh in my memory. That’s a day that will always be special to me and the fact that it came to Australia made it that much more special … was an overseas hundred for a young guy looking to establish himself in Test cricket and for that first hundred to come in Australia was something that really boosted my confidence.
“When you see that my career really took off after that test match. My confidence grew by leaps and bounds.
“The way people look at Test cricket being played under me as the Indian team (captain) or just the way I played Test cricket and how I thought and wanted to play Test cricket, it didn’t happen by chance. I have I have put a lot of effort into it. I have made sure that my core moral values when it comes to the game of cricket remain intact. That is wanting to play test cricket, wanting the purest form of the game to stay alive and for that we had to work in a way play and I have given my heart and soul to this format, I can say that.
“It feels great that I was able to contribute to my environment and to my culture in greater ways than just strategizing and planning and trying to get batsmen out or maneuver bowlers. When you have a bigger impact on your environment, it’s really something to feel blessed about because this opportunity comes very rarely for people and I was blessed with this opportunity.
“I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to create a culture that I think I’ve established as a leader over the years and I’ve done my job to the best of my ability and fulfilled my responsibilities. I look forward to that period with great pride .
“I’ve played with some great teammates. Some of the guys who have shared this journey with me for most of the Test matches. And I clearly remember when I took over as captain of Test, I had this vision for the team we need to play a certain kind of cricket and we have to be a certain kind of team in international cricket and in the end we achieved that five years in a row Just immense pride The environment was something magical You just came into the locker room and you knew yourself could win anywhere. That feeling was so powerful. You went to every tour without baggage, without any nervousness, without any hesitation and it was just one chance after one chance. As I sat in the locker room and looked around, I felt I have my responsibility can take, that’s the feeling I got.
“From 2015 to 2019, the kind of test cricket we played. Each of those tours and games is a special memory in itself. We’ve had heavy losses and great comebacks, immensely proud of the whole stage. I can’t just be wrong. if I were to point to a win in the series in Australia, or come in 2-1 from England, which might give us the trophy back.
“For us, we understand those moments on a daily basis. I love playing this game, I’m still passionate about winning a lot of games for my country. That was my main motivation when I started playing this game that I want to play for India.” want to play and win games for my team. That was my single-minded motivation and I stay in that space. All this talk about numbers and statistics, it’s just a fantasy for people from the outside. I’ve never really focused on these things and if I had, I wouldn’t have scored the points or reached the milestones that I have.
“Your intention must be right and my intention remains in the same place. I want to win as many matches as possible for India.
“Anushka has been a huge influence in my life. Ultimately, the influence in your life also seeps through to the game, because your game is part of life. I have become a completely different man for all the right reasons, I have evolved in the right way. I am very thankful to God and thankful that I have a life partner like her. She has been an absolute pillar of support for me. I started evolving when Anushka came into my life and vice versa, we both helped each other grow.
“I wouldn’t have been able to move forward with such composure, passion and zeal if she hadn’t been in my life.
“If it feels unreal, I never thought I would play 100 friendlies for India. That was a time when I told myself that I would do everything I could to play for India. Nothing could demotivate or distract me anymore. I was completely focused on getting to the top and wanted to play for a long time. But I never knew I would play 100 Test matches, but things unfolded in a way that the journey continued.
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“Life is unpredictable in wonderful ways and I think we shouldn’t put limits on life in terms of how many amazing things you can see in the future. You have no idea what the future holds, so it’s best not to panic and not get demotivated by what might not happen. My career and my life is an example of everything that is possible.
“I hear the crowds are allowed, so I think it will be a special morning. There will be some butterflies. They will be there until you play the last game for India. When they are gone you know it’s time. “
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