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Virat Kohli spills tea on his mother’s favourite activity after winning POTM for Vadodara 93

Soumyajit Dutta

Virat Kohli speaking after the match [Source: @wokenupkohli/X]Virat Kohli speaking after the match [Source: @wokenupkohli/X]

Virat Kohli once again proved his mettle as one of the greatest One-Day International batters in the world. Playing in the first ODI between India and New Zealand at Vadodara, the chase master produced a magnificent 93 off 91 deliveries while leading India’s run chase after an early setback.

Chasing New Zealand’s target of 301, Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opened the innings for India. After Rohit was dismissed in the ninth over, Virat Kohli walked in and steadied the chase for the Men in Blue.

Virat Kohli speaks after receiving 45th POTM in ODIs

Kohli shared a crucial 118-run partnership with Gill and later added 77 runs with Shreyas Iyer. Kohli, however, could not finish the match as he was dismissed in the 40th over by Kyle Jamieson. Despite that, his outstanding knock earned him the Player of the Match award.

This marked Kohli’s 45th Player of the Match award in ODIs, placing him behind only Sanath Jayasuriya (48) and Sachin Tendulkar (62) on the all-time list.

Speaking after receiving the award, Virat Kohli opened up about his emotions associated with such accolades. When Harsha Bhogle asked whether he keeps track of the number of Player of the Match awards he has won, Kohli responded with a witty yet emotional answer.

"No, honestly, I have no idea. I send it to my mum in Gurgaon. She likes keeping all the trophies. She feels proud of it,” Kohli said.

Reflecting further on his journey as a modern-day great, the Indian batter expressed gratitude and appreciation towards God.

“Well, honestly. If I look back at my whole journey, it is nothing short of a dream come true for me. I have always mentioned that I have always known my abilities. How much ability I had when I came in, and I had to work a lot more to get to the place where I am today,” Kohli added.

“God has blessed me with way too much for me to complain about anything. I feel nothing bur gratitude. I always look at my journey with a lot of grace and a lot of gratitude in my heart and I feel proud about it,” Kohli explained.

Virat Kohli on batting at No. 3

Virat Kohli also elaborated on his mindset and approach while batting at number three, highlighting the importance of staying calm and composed, which has contributed to his consistency in recent times.

“Well, the basic idea is I bat at number 3. If the situation is tricky, I back myself to counterattack now rather than to play the situation. Because some ball has your name on it, no point waiting for it. You back yourself enough to put the pressure back on the back foot,” Kohli said.

“Honestly, if I am brutally honest about the way I am playing right now, I am not thinking about the milestones at all. Like, if we were batted first today, I would have gone a bit harder. Even with the chase, with a total on the board, I had to kind of buckle down. The experience kicks in but I just wanted to take the team in a winning position,” Kohli added.

 Kohli on having the 'MS Dhoni experience'

In a lighter moment, Bhogle asked Kohli whether he feels bad when the batter ahead of him receives loud cheers from the crowd after dismissal, knowing that he will be walking out next. Kohli replied that he actually feels bad, drawing a comparison to how MS Dhoni experiences similar reactions during Chennai Super Kings matches at Chepauk in the IPL.

“Well, no. I am aware of it, I don't feel good about it. Same thing happens with MS as well. I don't think it is a good feeling for the guy going out. I do understand the fans getting excited. I don't think too much about it, I am happy to see happy faces,” Virat Kohli concluded.

For the unaware, the match eventually ended in style, with KL Rahul sealing the chase by smashing a four, four, and a six off Kristian Clarke’s over. Washington Sundar stood firm at the other end as India wrapped up the contest with a four-wicket victory.