‘I don’t feel I am entitled, still have to try hard’

I’ve been able to push my physical and mental abilities by focussing on what the team needs and in that process more runs have come. VIRAT KOHLI, India skipper

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.”

His consistency has been monotonic and Kohli said that he has been able to push barriers only because he has put the team’s cause first.

“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.”

The 10,000-run milestone, however, dazzling it might look is merely an outcome of the process.

“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,” Kohli said.

For him, the milestone is a testimony to his longevity than anything else. “I feel really grateful, blessed. These things don’t matter much 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,” he said.

“So I am just happy that I have been able to play for so long and hopefully many more years to come.”