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"Never been a big believer…": Virat Kohli drops cryptic clue on domestic participation

Poulomi Chakraborty

Kohli's indirect answer to VHT preparation buzz (Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com)Kohli's indirect answer to VHT preparation buzz (Source: @mufaddal_vohra/x.com)

A month of waiting to see Virat Kohli bat couldn't have ended on a better note as the King delivered his classic 52nd ODI hundred in Ranchi, and the entire nation erupted in joy. After a tough end to the Test series, India needed a spark, and once again, the King rose at the perfect moment.

Just before the sublime knock, questions swirled around Kohli's participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, as the legend is now only committed to the ODIs. After the win over South Africa, he subtly put all the buzz to rest.

Will Kohli return for the Vijay Hazare Trophy?

After hanging up his boots from the Test and T20Is, the ODIs have become Virat Kohli’s sole focus, and last night he proved why he is still the best in the business. Taking off the pressure from the team, King Kohli tore through the Protea bowlers and smashed the 52nd ODI hundred of his career. But as he is just committed to only one format, buzz was swirling about his future.

Reports were saying that Virat Kohli will be playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Delhi, but the King gave an indirect answer to put the rumours to rest. After the match, he revealed that it wasn't hours of heavy prep but the mind game he mastered that remains the quiet secret behind his unstoppable success.

“I’ve never been a big believer in a lot of preparation, if that makes sense. All my cricket has been mental. As long as I feel good mentally, I can play the game,” he said.

Last night, a 37-year-old player graced the big stage with the energy of a youngster. Taking all the pressure while pushing the side towards a safe place, it never felt like Kohli came back playing international cricket after a month. As the world was in awe of his innings, King dropped the secret behind his sublime show.

“I've said it before, if I'm arriving somewhere, I'll arrive at 120%,” Kohli said, and fans kept hailing his hunger and passion for the game even after years.

Kohli looks back at his Ranchi masterpiece

In the last ODI series against Australia, the cricket world wanted to see a classic hundred, but he remained unbeaten on 74 runs in the last ODI. This time, in the South Africa series, the King made sure no one went home disappointed. He exploded with a breathtaking 135 off 120 balls, a knock that shook the cricket world. After wrapping the game, he reflected on his innings.

“Today was really nice to kind of get into the game like that. The pitch played quite decently in the first 20-25 overs before it started to slow down. So I just felt like, ‘let me just go out there and just hit the ball, not think too much about any of the other stuff’. It’s just me and the ball coming at me and just enjoying the game of cricket,” he said.

With a dominating victory, Team India took the lead in the series by 1-0. As the next match is scheduled on December 3, Indian fans will be up for another thriller.