Who would have ever thought that the Royal Challengers Bangalore – a side with one of the strongest and sturdiest batting line-ups would falter in the embarrassing way that they have? Virat Kohli and his men were humbled by almost every opposition and have had nothing to show for in this year’s Indian Premier League.
Just a few days prior to their final match of the season against the Delhi Daredevils, the entire team was present at the unveiling of Tissot – the official watch of RCB. The event was held at the Ritz Carlton in Bengaluru and Virat Kohli, Shane Watson and Chris Gayle addressed the media.
“It’s been tough but a great learning opportunity. We have all learned a lot from the season and I’m sure the guys have realised a lot about themselves,” said Kohli about RCB’s poor season.
“We’re only going to get better from here it cannot get any worse. We’ve had our worst season in 10 years and it’s an opportunity to start fresh,” he continued.
Moving on to the Champions Trophy
Kohli would obviously look to end the season on a high and help RCB defeat the Daredevils in the dead rubber. No matter what the result of the match would be, the attention would soon shift to the all-important ICC Champions Trophy which begins in England on June 1.
Amidst all the controversies between the BCCI and the ICC regarding the latter’s proposed revenue model, the BCCI finally caved in and decided to name a full strength 15 member squad for the tournament.
The Indian captain himself has not been going on a good run of form having faltered on numerous occasions ever since Australia’s tour to India.
Extra Cover: Is India on the right path to defend the coveted title?
Speaking about how he keeps his motivation in such situations and how he would keep himself up and about during the Champions Trophy, Kohli insisted upon the importance of following a set routine.
“Well, it’s pretty easy, if you play the sport for so long you have to accept that these kinds of days will come. It’s important to have a set routine in your life that you follow not necessarily relying on the results you get on the field and then things become easier to cope up with. Even if you’re doing well you do the same things and when you’re not you do the same. That’s how I keep myself motivated to go out there and do my best every game that I play and the team plays,” said Kohli.
“But it doesn’t happen every time and you have to accept it. Similarly, for the ICC Champions Trophy, whatever I’ve done in the IPL; the preparation and doing my routines right – the same thing applies for the tournament,” he concluded.
From a Test series against Australia in March to the Indian Premier League and now moving on to the ICC Champions Trophy. As a fan, we wonder how a cricketer, such as Kohli adapts to all three formats of the game within a span of 3 months.
“When things are not going well, it’s very difficult to change formats. When things are okay, it’s not that tough. In general, I think it depends on how you mould your game and how basic you keep it and change it according to formats,” said Kohli.
“It’s definitely a switch in your head and nothing about practising differently. I base my game in such a way that I can apply it to all three formats and get the results that I desire.
If you complicate things, it becomes difficult but if you keep it simple and back yourself you can succeed in all three formats,” he concluded.
For now, the nightmarish IPL season has to be put behind him and Kohli must concentrate on helping India defend their crown at the Champions Trophy. Their campaign will begin against arch-rivals Pakistan in Birmingham on June 4th after which they will take on Sri Lanka and South Africa in the subsequent group stage matches.
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