‘Consciousness…that’s my heart’: Virat Kohli opens up on mental phase after 1st ODI IND vs SA | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Vintage Virat Kohli has not only silenced chatter around his ODI future in Ranchi – he has pulled back the curtain on the mental space that now drives his greatness. After hammering a stunning 135 off 120 balls to take India to a 17-run win over South Africa in the series opener, Kohli spoke with striking clarity about his mental position at this stage of his storied career.Go beyond borders with our YouTube channel. REGISTER NOW!His 52nd ODI century – which extended his record by several hundreds in a single format – was a display of control, composure and calculated aggression. But it was his self-reflection afterwards, shared on the official X-handle of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), that offered the biggest insight into the fuel behind his performance.
“For me, the key word is awareness,” Kohli said, describing the mental phase he is currently in. “Being aware of situations, being aware of your own feelings and thoughts when you succeed and when you fail… in order to try to be at the most central point.”Kohli pointed out that it took years to achieve this level of mental balance.“I’ve worked a ton over the years. I would say yes, I’m in this situation now. I’m always looking to improve every day of my life. This is where I am.”Kohli’s innings was the backbone of India’s 349/8, built on a 136-run partnership with Rohit Sharma (57), followed by crucial stands with KL Rahul (60) and Ravindra Jadeja (32). His mastery allowed India to recover from intermediate stumbles and post a winning total.South Africa’s chase produced its own drama – falling to 11/3, coming back through Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen, then threatening a heist through Corbin Bosch – but Harshit Rana’s early strikes and Kuldeep Yadav’s timely breakthroughs kept India ahead by 17 runs.
