Bangalore: Always aiming to be the best in the business since his early days, India captain Virat Kohli said here Wednesday night that he is aware he will have to perform consistently in all three formats to realise his dream.
Speaking during the BCCI’s annual awards function Kohli said he always desired to be one of the top players of the world after receiving his ‘International Cricketer of the Year’ trophy from former Indian wicket-keeper Farookh Engineer.
“I always wanted to be one of the best players in the world for sure. So I understood what it would take for me to maintain my form in all three formats. I have really worked hard to be successful in all three formats,” Kohli said.
Kohli also took a dig at his detractors and said he always believed in his abilities although there were many who doubted his potential. “I have always believed in my abilities, irrespective of what the critics have opined. I always believed that if I work 120 per cent every day in my life I am answerable to no one,” he asserted.
Kohli became Wednesday, the first Indian cricketer to receive the Polly Umrigar Trophy for the third time. Hailing his teammates for their support and contribution in helping India reach the pinnacle of Test cricket, Kohli said the last 12 months have been a breakthrough year in his career.
“It is been quite unbelievable in the last 10-12 months. Starting late 2015 to the end of 2016, probably I could term it as the breakthrough year in my career. All the hard work, all the training on a daily basis, all the sacrifices, came together nicely. It could not have been possible without the help of the teammates throughout,” he pointed out.
“At times you don’t do well but when the champion players in your side step up and everyone delivers that’s when you start producing results. That is why we are the top side in the world at the moment, and it is testimony to the kind of talent we have in the team and how players have stepped up on occasions which helped the team pull through different situations. I thank my teammates for their support, trust and effort,” the dapper-looking Indian skipper added.
The Indian skipper said the mantra behind the team’s success in the last one year is their care-free attitude and belief. “We play with a kind of attitude, we don’t care about what happens outside that change-room door,” he stated.
PTI