Vintage 135, result of 120% preparation: Virat Kohli says he reached Ranchi early for training | Cricket News

KOLKATA: For all his aggression on the field, Virat Kohli is like that good kid in class who comes early, always sits on the front bench and completes his studies well in advance before taking the exam. So, he arrived in Ranchi two days before the others, had three good net sessions and skipped the final day’s practice only when he was fully satisfied with his preparation for the first international match after more than a month.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!Playing solely on a format that is fighting for relevance amid a growing number of T20Is and the classic form of the game – Tests, a format it bid farewell to in May – comes with its own set of challenges. But the man with the most centuries in a single format knows how to stay on top of the game and not just be relevant. With 52 ODI tons, Kohli surpassed little master Sachin Tendulkar’s 51 during the Tests in Ranchi on Sunday.

“I have said it before, if I get anywhere, I will get 120 per cent,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony after receiving his 44th Player of the Match award at the One-Day Internationals.“I came here early because I wanted to familiarize myself a bit with the conditions, do a few sessions during the day and one in the evening, so my preparation work was done. I took a day off before the match because I’m 37, I also have to take care of my recovery. I visualize the game a lot in my mind, and if I see myself that intense, that lively, taking on the fielders and the bowlers, then I know I’m in a good space and I relax into it. somehow,” he added.

Kohli’s innings in the first ODI against India was mixed in places. While it took 48 balls to reach his 50 with a six more wide than long, it took him 54 balls to reach his hundred and then shifted gears to score the final 32 runs off 18 balls before returning to a capacity crowd who gave him a standing ovation.“The pitch played pretty decently in the first 20-25 overs before it started to slow down. I felt like I just let myself go out and hit the ball, without thinking too much about other things. It’s just me and the ball coming towards me and enjoying the game, that’s the very reason I started playing. When you start, experience comes into play and you are able to build an innings,” he told the broadcaster.“If you play 300-odd ODIs and that many crickets over the last 15-16 years, if you are in touch with the game and you know that when you hit balls in training, your reflexes are there, your physical ability is there to bat long, if you can bat for one and a half to two hours in front of the nets without taking a break, you kind of meet all these markers.“I understand that if there is a drop in form, you look for matches and you try to get that form back,” said the ODI, who now has 83 international tons.With some talk going on that the BCCI wants the seniors to play the domestic 50-over encounter for the Vijay Hazare Trophy in order to remain match-ready for the ODIs, Kohli’s remarks might have suggested otherwise. “I never really believed in much preparation. All my cricket has been mental. I work very hard physically every day of my life, it has nothing to do with cricket anymore, it’s just the way I live. So as long as my fitness level is high and my enjoyment and mental acuity is there, then you know it’s okay,” he signed off, giving enough reason to read between the lines.