Virat Kohli is regarded as one of the greats to have ever graced the game of cricket. Even at the age of 37 and his retirement from the T20I and Test formats, Virat continues to be a dominator and gives continuous cherishing moments to the fans all around the globe with his batting masterclass in the ODI format. He was recently seen in action in the first ODI match between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday.
Virat maintained his impressive touch with the bat, and his 93-run knock helped India register a 3-wicket victory to go 1-0 up in the three-match ODI series. He smashed eight fours and a six, but missed out on his 54th ODI century. While Virat's is in the twilight period of his long and illustrious career, the veteran batter's popularity is only reaching new heights.
What Virat Kohli is today, and the frenzy to catch a glimpse of him or watch him play, didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of incredible hard work, an unbreakable mindset, and unwavering passion, dedication, and discipline. When one brings these tough but winning qualities into one's own life or career, growth follows—but so do disagreements. Your changed behaviour and different way of seeing the game may make some people uncomfortable, dissatisfied, or even opposed.
Recently, talking about Virat's pre-match routines, Indian senior batter Ajinkya Rahane highlighted the level of detail and discipline that goes into the former skipper's preparation. Having served as Kohli’s deputy in red-ball cricket, Rahane spent several years sharing the dressing room with him. Rahane went on to talk about Kohli’s never-give-up attitude, while also addressing misconceptions about him being arrogant, explaining that his intensity and focus often get misunderstood by many.
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"However much we talk about Virat Kohli is never enough. But I have seen him very closely, how he goes about his batting. We talk about his passion and his intent each and every time. But I feel for me, what stands out is his attitude. Attitude of learning, attitude of never giving up. People outside think Virat is arrogant, but he is not. He gets into the zone," Rahane said on Cricbuzz.
Rahane, who has been out of the Indian team setup for a while now, revealed how Kohli takes himself under isolation before the matches, often wearing AirPods and avoiding conversation, a habit that helps him get into the zone. "I saw him two days before the game. He'll hardly talk to people, even with his teammates. That's what actually gets him into the zone. He'll always wear his AirPods or try to listen to whatever he wants to and what he likes to get into the zone," Rahane admitted that this approach initially puzzled many players," he added.
"Initially, it took all the players a little bit of time. Why is he doing that? But then I got to know that he's actually getting into the zone while not talking to the players or while not talking to anyone," Rahane added.