There is no signature shot with which you associate Virat Kohli.
There is no signature shot with which you associate Virat Kohli. Not yet, at least. It's the confidently relaxed manner in which he walks around in the crease as if he feels he belongs there at the highest level and the hunger to convert starts that has impressed. It wasn't far back that Kohli was considered a brat. During first IPL, especially, stories of his attitude started doing the rounds. He wasn't a great natural talent but had the confidence of one. Some called it arrogance and even his IPL 2 coach, Ray Jennings, said: "He is a very talented kid but sometimes thinks he is better than the game."
So far, Kohli hasn't spoken much, at least publicly, about those perceptions. Today, though, after yet another well-composed knock, Kohli strived to present a new face to the world. "What people were talking about my attitude during first IPL was right to certain extent. I have accepted the criticism and tried to take it in the right spirit. There are two ways to deal with it: either you ignore it and keep continuing in the same way doing the same mistakes or you can accept the criticism and rectify it. And I took the second approach."
Kohli said that it was his family and his coach (Raj Kumar Sharma) who helped him change for the better. "They sensed that something might be going wrong with me and supported me."u00a0 He also credited Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.u00a0 "They made me understand the sacrifices that you have to make to do well in international cricket."
The Delhi young gun pointed out that it was the success he had during emerging player's tournament in Australia that gave him the confidence that he can do well this season. "That boosted my confidence tremendously. I just became so much more mentally stronger.u00a0 I have now learned to bat in pressure conditions.
"From then on, I have just been concentrating on my game and not thinking about other things. I am very focused now."
Even before the tournament started, it was expected that this series was likely to mark the beginning of Kohli's resurgence, where he might get away from the rest of the competition, but not many expected that it would also mark his journey towards maturity off the field.
