Virat Kohli reveals why he became emotional after Australia win

Virat Kohli batted his way into the history with an impressive 82 of 51 balls. The knock ensured that the Indians made their way to the semifinal of the tournament. At the end of it all was Virat Kohli with his knees on the ground. The knock was as emotional as it could get. For Virat however, it was a win from the jaws of defeat.

“It virtually felt like you are out of the tournament at the end of 10 overs. To pull the game back after that along with MS Dhoni – I don’t know how we did it. Even out there in the middle, I didn’t know how this was happening. I am just grateful that I was able to do it for the team,” Kohli told BCCI.TV

“It was a pretty emotional feeling when I saw Dhoni hitting the winning runs. I don’t really know what to say. That is the reason you play the sport. That is the feeling that you crave as a sportsperson. It is such a wonderful moment for your team. To see your teammates celebrate and get happy is a wonderful feeling,” added Kohli.

Kohli added that he had never played an innings where he had to score 39 of the final 3 overs. He also stated that it was extremely necessary to target James Faulkner.

“I have never played an innings like that where we needed 39 off 3 overs and I have been able to pull it off with MS Dhoni batting at the other end,” Kohli said after his masterclass that took India into the semi-finals.

“The thoughts, the pre-planning for the boundary just kept coming to me in my mind. I knew a hundred percent that I had to target James Faulkner in the 18th over. I thought 3 overs and 39 runs, and one over have to be a big one, at least, close to 15 runs. We got bigger (19) than that. I think just before the 16th over, I thought if we don’t get too many boundaries, we might be struggling in the end because the pitch was not as flat.”

“The slower balls were holding up. It was very important to stay in the moment and pick your gaps. It was a quick outfield, so I knew if I could beat the fielder inside the ring, I would probably end up getting four runs.”

“If I was going to go towards covers, he would give me assurance again and I became confident. I think that is where communication and partnership helps. It was wonderful to pull the team out of that situation.”

“I don’t know where I would put this chase. It is up to the people to decide that. I enjoy playing every innings for my country. Hopefully, they think this is one of the better chases the Indian team has pulled off. Not just me, it is an effort by everyone. I scored 82; I didn’t score all the runs in the game. Others have contributed as well, so credit goes to them also.”