'I've tried to ask him many times' - Ajinkya Rahane reveals Virat Kohli never shared the secret behind his prolific run-chasing ability

Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane has revealed that Virat Kohli never disclosed the secret behind his remarkable success in white-ball run chases, despite being asked several times over the years.

Kohli is widely regarded as one of the greatest chasers in the history of limited-overs cricket. His ability to pace an innings, absorb pressure, and accelerate at the right moment has helped India script countless memorable victories.

The batting stalwart averages an incredible 89.07 in successful ODI run chases, having scored 24 centuries in 105 innings. In T20Is, he boasts an equally phenomenal average of 78.61 across 39 successful run chases.

Rahane admitted that he was curious to know what made Kohli so successful in pressure situations but never managed to get an answer.

"It's his mind and the calculation in his mind. But that's his secret. I've tried to ask him many times but he doesn't give it away. He will not give you any clue. His ability to take calculated risks at the perfect time is the key. MS Dhoni was like that too. But the calculations in Virat's head was something else," said Rahane on the Overlap Cricket YouTube channel.

Kohli has established himself as one of the finest white-ball batters of all time, amassing more than 19,000 international runs and 55 centuries across ODIs and T20Is. His consistency in high-pressure chases has often been hailed as one of the defining aspects of his illustrious career.

The reason behind our successful partnerships was the positive and frank communication: Rahane

Rahane also reflected on his successful batting partnerships with Kohli in Test cricket, attributing their success to their contrasting styles and constant communication in the middle.

The duo formed one of India's most dependable partnerships during the 2010s, combining aggression with composure to rescue the team from difficult situations on numerous occasions, especially in overseas conditions.

"We complemented each other very well because of his aggressive nature and my calm nature. The reason behind our successful partnerships was the positive and frank communication. We had many good partnerships against Australia. And in those, whenever Virat thought of going against a particular bowler and if my response was positive, he would do it better," said Rahane.

Rahane further revealed that Kohli often discussed tactics with him in the middle, including whether he should engage in verbal exchanges with opposition players.

"Virat always liked people coming after him. And he used to ask me if he should sledge the opposition player back. I would tell him 'Yes, go for it' as that's what worked for him. Our camaraderie was great, and we used to spend a lot of time with each other even off the field. We used to talk a lot about cricket, which you don't see nowadays. He was always positive and used to tell me never to hesitate in attacking a bowler."

Rahane and Kohli enjoyed an outstanding partnership record in Test cricket, stitching together 3,661 runs at an average of 56.32, including 10 century stands, making them one of India's most successful batting pairs in the longest format.