Virat Kohli on 15,000 ODI runs: Winning matches remains the goal

Virat Kohli said personal records cannot sustain a long international career, stressing that his focus has always been helping India win. After crossing 15,000 ODI runs, he also discussed his camaraderie with Shubman Gill and their successful batting partnership

Thiruvananthapuram: Talismanic India batter Virat Kohli has stated that chasing personal records can never sustain a long career in international cricket, adding that his sole focus over the years has been to steer the national team to victory from challenging situations.

Tearing into the West Indies bowling attack in the first ODI at the Greenfield International Stadium, Kohli breached the 15,000-run mark in ODIs while making an unbeaten 139 — his 55th ton in the format and third-fastest overall.

He now stands as only the second player in history to cross 15,000 men’s ODI runs, after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.

“Of course, I mean, if you look at it from a numbers perspective, it’s a big number. But the goal is simple — to try and make the team win from difficult situations and different situations.

“That’s what I’ve tried to do over the years. You can only play for that long if you’re looking to make the team win. You can’t play for that long for numbers because in the need to get numbers, you will compromise on the main goal and you can’t play for long in that manner. So I’m lucky to have been in this position for so long. Of course, a big number like that to tick off along the way to another win is quite special,” Kohli said in a video posted on BCCI’s social media accounts on Monday.

Speaking on his camaraderie with skipper Shubman Gill, who hit 110, Kohli highlighted his free-flowing nature and the lightness in the team environment, with the senior players being at ease.

“I’ve known him since the time he came into the team. I’ve always shared a very free-flowing and very fun-filled camaraderie with him. At the end of the day, you make a conscious effort.

“Now he’s in a leadership position. I’ve been in that position for a long time and now I’m a senior player. So, when senior players or the leaders in the team are smiling, laughing and keeping the environment light, all the other players feel like, yes, there’s no problem.

“Like, even if it’s a big-pressure game, everyone’s laughing. So it just relaxes all the other guys because we are not taking pressure. We are showing that it’s fine. We can smile and have a good laugh, but be professional on the field,” he elaborated.

Detailing the secret behind their successful partnerships, Kohli noted that mutual understanding simplifies their communication while batting together.

“When you bat with a player like that, we don’t talk much about the match — we talk about other and different things because he knows what to do and I know what to do.

“Sometimes, on the basis of experience, or in some areas, if he’s trying to hit, then I can chip in and say, maybe not this, maybe this. But more interactions happen on the field while we are fielding to bounce off ideas because the captain can have a lot of stuff going on.

“But batting with him, you don’t need to say much because he knows what to do. Of course, he’s got great skill. In the presentation, he was asking me, how do you feel batting with him? So I said, there’s a reason why he’s leading the team because he has the right perspective to look at the game in a way that he can make the team win,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gill expressed delight at being at the non-striker’s end when his idol Kohli breached the historic 15,000-run milestone.

“Very happy — growing up, I never thought I’ll be alongside Virat bhai when he completes his 15,000 runs in ODIs.

“From watching him and idolising him, seeing what makes him so special and then being on the crease with him and sharing those moments, I think the journey has been great so far and hopefully it’s going to be even better memories that we share.

“We can all see how much Virat bhai is enjoying his batting right now and I think whether it be the banter on the field or off the field, the ease and the confidence that he’s batting with right now, it also translates from off field to on field,” he concluded.