IPL 2024 | "I know my name is used to promote T20 cricket": Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli during the post-match presentation (Pic: X/@RCBTweets)

Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock of 77 runs against Punjab Kings in an IPL 2024 match on Monday. Post-match, during the presentation, Kohli said that he is aware of his name being used to promote T20 cricket, but he's still got it. The former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain was also honoured with the "Player of the Match" award for his remarkable knock. He has returned to competitive cricket after two months of break.

"I know my name is nowadays quite attached to just promoting the game in many parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. But, I've still got it, I guess," said the 35-year-old father of two in the post-match presentation.

His comments came in the backdrop of never-ending media speculation surrounding the team's composition for the big event to be jointly hosted by the USA and the West Indies starting June 1.

England's former player Kevin Pietersen has put on speculations that Kohli's place in the T20 World Cup 2024 squad would be on merit or for being a megastar who will pull in fans. Kohli averages over 50 in the shortest format of the game and has a strike rate of 138.15.

In the IPL 2024 match against Punjab Kings, Virat Kohli yet again showcased his stupendous strokes while chasing. On Monday, the veteran RCB batsman played with a strike rate of 157.14.

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"Well I mean you have to (make additions to your game)," he said when asked about going aerial against the pacers on the off-side. "People know I play the cover drive pretty well so they're not going to allow me to hit gaps and with guys like KG (Kagiso Rabada) and Arshdeep (Singh) as well, he's tall. So, I mean, if they're hitting length, you have to create some momentum in the ball.

"And once you're closer to the ball, you kind of negate the bounce that's going to happen. You meet it earlier. So, I mean, you have to come up with a game plan here and there and try to keep improving your game," he explained at the post-match presentation.

When asked about the two months period he spent with his family in London, the former Indian captain said that it was a surreal experience for him. The leave he took allowed him to spend quality time with his family. He also enjoyed the feeling of not being recognised by anyone on the streets. "We were not in the country. We were at a place where people were not recognising us. Just time together as a family, just to feel normal for two months. For me, for us as a family, it was a surreal experience.

"Of course, having two kids, things become totally different from a family perspective. So just the ability to be together, the connections that you make with your older child, it's amazing.

"I mean, I couldn't have been more grateful to God for the opportunity that I got to spend time with my family."
For Kohli, not being mobbed is a luxury and he loved every bit of his time away from the limelight.

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"And yeah, just the place that we were in, I was telling the guys (RCB teammates) that when we came back, the voices back home felt that much louder.

"I couldn't look up because I was just not used to being called my name for two months. And then immediately you hear these loud noises and then you're back in it all again.

"But it was beautiful. It's an amazing experience to just be another person on the road and not be recognised and just carry on about life that normally people would on a daily basis," he said.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru has not won an IPL title in 16 years. The former RCB captain was also thankful to the franchise's loyal fans for backing them for so many years. "It's been going on for years and you know, people talk about a lot of other things when you play sport. The achievements, the stats, the numbers. Look at the end of the day when you look back you're not going to think of the numbers and the stats.

"It's the memories that you create. Famously, Rahul bhai (India head coach) in the change room nowadays says exactly the same to us. When you play, you play your heart out because you're going to miss these times when you're with your friends in the change room playing in front of fans.

"So the relationship that's happened organically over so many years it's something that I can never ever forget. Just the love and the appreciation and the backing I've received for so many years that's been amazing," Kohli added.

(With PTI Inputs)