Virat Kohli became the fastest batsman to score 10,000 ODI runs on Wednesday. The Indian captain achieved the milestone in just 205 innings, bettering Sachin Tendulkar’s previous record of 259 innings. While Kohli continues to elevate his game with each passing year, the 29-year-old also made it clear that even after 10 years of international cricket he does not feel any “sense of entitlement”.
Kohli, who completed the fastest 10,000 ODI runs eclipsing Sachin Tendulkar by an astounding 54 innings, feels that “nothing should be taken for granted” as it’s a privilege that only few are bestowed with while a whole lot of them can only aspire.
“It’s a great honour for me to represent my country and even after playing 10 years, I don’t feel like I am entitled for anything here. You still have to work hard for every run that you score at the international level,” Kohli said in a candid chat on BCCI.TV.
“There are many people who want this (playing for India) very badly. So when you are in that same position yourself, you should have that same hunger and never take things for granted, never take it easy at any stage,” said the Indian skipper.
On his never-ending levels of commitment the Indian captain said, “If I have to dive six times in an over, I will do that for the team,” said Kohli.
“Because that’s my duty and that’s why I am selected to play for my country. That’s part of my job. It’s not doing anyone a favour. Not showing anyone that I am committed but it’s purely gaining that extra run for the team. The focus has to be that much precise and finer in that moment,” he added.
“You have to understand that I have to push for one more run for the team rather than feeling that I am tired and mentally not there. So, I think that’s my only intent, to keep doing what the team needs all the time and just helping it any way possible. I have been able to push my physical and mental abilities by focussing on what the team needs and in that process more runs have been scored by me than I would have otherwise if I would have been thinking about my own batting or anything like that,” Kohli explained.
Reflecting on the 10,000-run milestone, Kohli said, “All these things look good from the outside as a package from inside you know that you are focussed on the process. The thing is pushing hard for the team when you are down and out, pushing those 10-12 extra overs, so that the team can benefit from it. Then the runs become more anyway.”
Stating that he is grateful Kohli also said that records do not matter much to him. “But to understand that you have come this far in your career after playing for 10 years is something quite special to me because I love the sport so much and I want to play it more and more. And that for me is the most important thing. So I am just happy that I have been able to play for so long and hopefully many more years to come“,he concluded.
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