Virat Kohli felicitated by the cricket academy where it all began

“He has remained humble and it is a quality that distinguishes him. His desire to learn and the commitment to be involved all the time is a strong part of his character now. Indian cricket is proud of him and we at the WDCA just adore him,” said Rajkumar Sharma, Kohli's childhood coach.

A visibly emotional Kohli looked back at his cricket journey which began at the WDCA.

My mind flashed back to the time when I would cycle to the academy with my kit bag

Kohli

“I am so happy to see people here whom I saw on my first day at the academy. Atul (Wassan) sir, (Suresh) Batra sir. I can’t forget the day I returned home after being hit by some deliveries after I had started playing in the senior group. My mother was worried and she came to the academy to speak to Rajkumar sir. He assured her it was nothing to worry about. She did not have to come to the academy again," Kohli said.

“I told my coach [When he was elected as the captain in all the formats] that my mind flashed back to the time when I would cycle to the academy with my kit bag. It’s been an unbelievable journey. I am glad to share my good times with the same people today. My roots are at the academy and I learn something new every time I go there,” The Hindu quoted Kohli as saying.

The 28-year-old also spoke about how he has dealt with pressure and expectations that came along with his success. “I am doing what I loved from childhood — play cricket. I am so focused that pressure doesn’t affect me. I don’t worry about win or loss. I look at the larger picture and my daily hard work pays off. I just focus on staying in my zone. It helps me stay calm. It helps me tackle pressure.”