“I have always enjoyed playing at the Wankhede” - Virat Kohli speaking ahead of 2nd India vs New Zealand Test 

Team India skipper Virat Kohli has stated that he always enjoys playing at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, the venue for the second India-New Zealand Test, which starts on Friday.

Kohli was rested for the T20I series against the Kiwis as well as the first Test in Kanpur. He will be returning to lead the team in the second Test. The last time Kohli played a Test at the Wankhede, he smashed 235 against England in 2016.

Asked whether the success he has tasted at the venue previously would boost his confidence going into Friday’s match, Kohli said at a press conference:

“I have always enjoyed playing at the Wankhede. That’s a ground where I have always had happy memories.”

The Indian Test skipper, however, was quick to add:

“More than that, it’s the impact you leave with the kind of innings you play that matters to me more. That has been my focus in the past. That’s precisely my focus - every time I take the field I want to give my best, I want to try and do the best possible thing for the team in that situation. Not all the time will you have phases where you bat the same way. You have to understand and accept that in a long career span. So it’s all about putting in the hard yards.”

While Kohli was rested for the T20Is and the first Test against New Zealand, he was seen practicing at the CCI to prepare for the second Test. Asked about the same, the 33-year-old explained:

“It was just to stay in the rhythm of playing red-ball cricket. The idea was to get repetition and volume, which is important in Test cricket. It’s just to get into the mould of switching between formats and something I have always tried to do whenever I get the opportunity. It’s more so mentally than doing anything technique wise.”

According to reports, Kohli is likely to replace Mayank Agarwal in the playing XI for Mumbai, with vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane set to get another opportunity.

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“Getting mentally refreshed is crucial” - Virat Kohli on break amid bio-bubble life

Having returned from a much-needed break, Kohli admitted that given the circumstances due to COVID, mental health of cricketers must be given a lot of attention. He opined:

“From my point of view, it (break) is very important. Getting mentally refreshed is crucial because when we play so much cricket and perform at a certain level, it becomes a given that you are expected to turn up and play with the same intensity and deliver performances series after series.”

Kohli further explained:

“Players and the management have spoken a lot about managing workload. From my personal experience I can say that, practicing for 4-5 days without 50 cameras, I could work on my game individually, which doesn’t happen in the bubble. To maintain the quality of cricket and maximize the ability of players, it is very important to consider these things.”

India and New Zealand will head into the second Test with the series locked at 0-0 after the Kiwis hung on for a draw in a pulsating finish in Kanpur.