Indian talismanic batter Virat Kohli, who is currently playing in the home ODI series against the West Indies, has revealed that he has promised himself he will play more freely, without worrying about the expectations placed on him.
Kohli, who currently plays ODIs and IPL, retired from T20Is after the successful T20 World Cup 2024 campaign in June. On the other hand, he bid adieu to Test cricket in May 2025 ahead of the England tour.
“What’s changed is, firstly, I promised myself that I’m going to play more freely. I’m not going to worry about the expectations that people might have around me. My role had always been, for a long period of time, that I’m going to stabilise things,” Kohli told JioStar.
“I know I can play, I know I can hit shots. But the demands are such that if it’s a tricky situation and you are playing on a tricky pitch, you eventually get into a space where you’re like, I can hit, but I’ve been given a role,” he added.
Further, Kohli insisted that he has consistently played an aggressive brand of cricket in ODIs and T20s over the past 12 months, adapting his game to the fast-paced demands of modern-day cricket.
“I am making a conscious effort that if I’m set to make a difference in the game, where you can get 30-40 extra runs. I want to stay in a space where, if I’m choosing not to take a risk, it’s because I’m setting up eventually to get to a point where I say, okay, now press the accelerator down,” Kohli noted.
“The game is changing in a way that, especially if the conditions are fast-paced and good, and other teams are looking to push you towards 340-350, we should be able to get 350-360 as well. I’m very willing to take risks now because I know that if I make runs there, we’ll get 350-360 easily. And if I do that and play longer, then I can hit more at the end,” he concluded.
