Virat Kohli: The juggernaut does not stop rolling with the final
On the eve of the much-awaited IPL finale between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad, RCB skipper Virat Kohli has asked his side to enjoy the occasion instead of crumbling under pressure. Kohli also said that “being under pressure should be a privilege for a sportsman.”
After a roller-coaster IPL journey, Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore made it to their third IPL final in nine years and will now play in front of their own fans for the much-coveted title. Having lost their last two finals (2009 to Deccan Chargers and 2011 to Chennai Super Kings), RCB skipper Kohli believes that finals are about handling pressure.
"It's just about them not being over-excited, understanding what's given them success and sticking to their strengths because eventually you are playing a game of cricket.
"There's nothing different happening out there. It's still bowling the same ball or playing the same sort of shot. It's just the occasion that sometimes gets to players so the biggest challenge tomorrow for all the players in the side is to not look at that game of cricket as something very different,” Kohli said, reported ESPNcricinfo.
When asked by reporters about how to succeed in the finals, Kohli responded by saying that “it is all about composure”.
"I think the one word that comes to mind is composure. It's very similar to being in a pressure situation while you are batting or bowling. What you require is composure.
"On occasions like this, where it starts is the change room. How you look at the atmosphere out there on the ground, how excited or nervous you get, whether your heart rate is shooting up before you even start warm-ups, all those things are very, very important for a person to understand," the Orange Cap holder explained.
Kohli also talked about looking at the bigger picture to defuse the pressure on him and his team-mates and asked his side to enjoy the occasion.
"[We need to] understand that tomorrow is not going to be paused forever. Whatever happens, there has to be another day, there has to be a new day after that. Whether you win or whether you lose, that will not stay. Just to stay away from that. Be attached yet be detached, it's a classic example of that saying where you want to win, but at the same time you are not so attached to it that you are cursing yourself or being too hard on yourself.
“At the same time, if you win, you must enjoy with your team-mates, you must enjoy the occasion but understand that that's not the end of everything. The juggernaut doesn't stop rolling there, you still have to keep working hard in any of the games you play afterwards. I think that sort of mindset where you can be probably very measured in terms of approaching a loss or a victory helps you stay in the right focus," the 27-year-old said.
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