Virat Kohli sent a sharp message to young cricketers at a time when T20 cricket is giving them a chance to earn big money and called for them to not get comfortable with it and commit to a career that is beyond just the shortest format. The Indian cricket legend stated that players should be ready to work hard and ensure they have a long career in the game.
The 37-year-old explained that the motivation for a player should be to play for two decades and get respect and recognition from the cricketing world. Kohli claimed that the money IPL offers can put players in a space where players do not have to do the hard grind.
“It’s the drive. A lot of people relate drive to money nowadays. Yes, it’s a big factor because when a format that gives you the hype and the recognition, the fame by scoring 40-50 off 20 balls and the kind of money that people can make in the IPL today, it can put you in a very comfortable space. They can say, you know what, this is brilliant. I don’t need to handle pressure for too long. I can just go out there and smash the ball,” sad Kohli during the RCB Innovation Lab’s Indian Sports summit.
“Or you can say, I want to play for 15-20 years. I want to get recognition and respect of the cricketing world, of my own heroes and I want to fulfill this opportunity,” he added.
Kohli praised the current crop of young players for their power-hitting ability but called for players to develop skills that also allow them to bat in tough conditions and bat according to the situation.
“Or you can say, I want to play for 15-20 years. I want to get recognition and respect of the cricketing world, of my own heroes and I want to fulfill this opportunity.If The pitch is not allowing me to hit boundaries, I should be able to run my team to victory. For me, it’s dissecting the game and understanding how to go about a situation. For that, I have to prepare physically in a certain way. So, it’s choices that you make mentally to kind of unlock your abilities,” Kohli concluded.
