'If I'm arriving somewhere I'll arrive at 120%' – Kohli Promises Full Intensity After Ranchi Ton

Virat Kohli was at his absolute best in the first ODI against South Africa at Ranchi. He batted with confidence throughout the innings, giving a glimpse of his peak when he used to score hundreds for fun. His superlative batting allowed India to score a big total in the first innings, sending South Africa an early statement about what to expect from the Indian superstar in the rest of the series.

Before the start of the match, Virat Kohli arrived at the venue to have some extra practice sessions in the nets. He is one of those players who wants to assess the conditions properly, so getting extra practice in the nets allows him to play at his full potential during the match.

"I've said it before if I'm arriving somewhere I'll arrive at 120. [I came early] because I wanted to get hold of the conditions a little bit, bat a couple of sessions in the day and one in the evening, so my prep work was done.” said Virat Kohli at the post-match press conference.

The Indian superstar has turned 37, so he needs to look at his fitness as well before hitting the nets with full intensity. Due to that, he took a day off before the match, so that his body can recover fully for the first game at Ranchi.

“I took a day off before the game because I'm 37, I also need to look after the recovery. I visualise the game a lot in my mind, and as long as when I think about the game, if I see myself being as intense, as sharp, taking the fielders and bowlers on, then I know I'm in a good space and I kind of relax and play out there.” said Virat Kohli.

Talking about the match, Virat Kohli said that the pitch played decently in the first 25 overs, however, after that, it started to slow down. Keeping that in view, he improvised his game accordingly so that he could take the innings deep. He was also keen to enjoy his batting while out in the middle, as taking unnecessary pressure is not part of his nature.

"Today was really nice to get into the game like that. The pitch played quite decently in the first 20-25 overs before it started to slow down. I just felt like let me just go out there and just hit the ball, not think too much about any of the other stuff, it's just me and the ball coming at me and just enjoy the game of cricket which was the very reason I started playing this game.” said Virat Kohli.

“It was just about staying in the space of enjoyment, and of course, when you get a start and you get a situation then you know what you've done over so many years, the experience kicks in, and you understand the situation and you're able to build an innings." added Virat Kohli.

Virat Kohli Rates Experience Over Form in ODI Cricket

He then described how over 15 years of experience has helped him understand his form accurately. Because of that, he always prioritizes practicing in the nets, as it allows him to assess his fitness and reflexes.

"If you play 300-odd ODI games and so much cricket over the last 15-16 years, as I said if you're in touch with the game and you know that when you're hitting balls at practice, your reflexes are there, your physical ability is there to bat long, if you can bat an hour and half to two hours in the nets without taking a break, you're kind of meeting all those markers.” said Virat Kohli.

The Indian superstar then said that having a dip in form does not mean you have forgotten the art of playing. He added that as long as you are performing well in the nets, you can always get a match to score good runs and regain confidence.

“I understand if there's a dip in form, you look for games and you try to get that form back. But as long as you're hitting the ball well and you're playing good cricket, I think at this stage with the experience that I have for me, it's about being physically fit, mentally ready and excited to play the games that I'm playing, and more or less everything else should take care of itself.” concluded Virat Kohli.