Virat Kohli is used to succeeding in pressure situations

It's not easy being in and out of the playing XI and then straightaway thrust into a pressure-situation in a crucial match. But, his team can always count on Virat Kohli whatever be the situation.

Virat Kohli is used to succeeding in pressure situations

It's not easy being in and out of the playing XI and then straightaway thrust into a pressure-situation in a crucial match. But, his team can always count on Virat Kohli whatever be the situation.

In India's fourth one-dayer against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens, India were under pressure chasing 315 when they suffered a double blow early on, losing their experienced openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar.

Not many would have put their money on the young batsman to do the job, but his Delhi teammates in the Indian dressing room, Ishant Sharma and Ashish Nehra, would have had little doubt.

Three Decembers ago, on a chilly Delhi day, the two Indian fast bowlers were witness to an innings of extraordinary courage from Kohli in his maiden first-class season. In that 2006 game, Delhi had been reduced to 59 for five, chasing Karnataka's 446. Eighteen-year-old Kohli was overnight 40 not out but not many thought he would be able to report to the ground the next morning, let alone bat. He had lost his father, Prem, at 3 am that morning (night of December 18).

But Virat surprised his teammates by returning to play in the morning. He helped his team avoid the follow-on with an innings of 90, and then returned home to perform the last rites for his father.

His long-time coach at West Delhi Cricket Academy, Raj Kumar Sharma, said Kohli is a man for crisis.

"He takes any tough situation as a challenge. He called me the morning his father died and asked, what should he do? I asked him, what did he feel? He said: 'Mujhe khelna chahiye' (I should play). I told him, 'go ahead with it'. He played and completed his job," recounted Sharma while speaking to MiD DAY yesterday.

After such baptism, it is not hard to figure out that Kohli has not had trouble handling the pressures of international cricket. He's done his job most of the time he's been given a chance but is yet to cement his place.

He sat out of the third ODI against Lanka at Cuttack, after scoring 27 and 54u00a0 in the first two games. He came back yesterday and scored his maiden century (107 runs off 114 balls, 11 fours and 1 six) while sharing a match-winning 224-run partnership with Gambhir (150 not out).

"He's fearless. He doesn't get disappointed that he does not get to play regularly. He says there are better players than him and he has to wait for his chances," said Sharma.

"He's got this knack of performing at the right time. He performed yesterday when the team needed it the most."

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