God’s way of testing: Kohli on why working hard during struggle matters

Virat Kohli, one of the finest cricketers to have ever graced the field, doubled down on the need to work hard during the struggle as the most necessary approach to get out of it. The 35-year-old, who is currently in London with the family on a break from cricket, said that it is how a person reacts to the tough times that decides how quickly the good times will arrive again for him. 

“How you react to the times when you are not feeling great and how you ride that wave and accept things the way they are,” said Kohli in a video that is doing rounds on social media. 

“It’s a very delicate thing to do when you know you’re not doing well, and you feel like you don’t want to work, you don’t want to go to practice, you don’t want to work hard in the gym,” added the man with 80 international centuries in his kitty. 

But there was a time between 2019 and 2022 when Kohli went century-less and his place in the side was questioned. Talking about those days the batting maestro underscored the importance of showing gratitude and being loyal to the opportunity to overcome God’s test. 

“Even in your worst times, if you are committed to do the hard work, not based on success. That, to me, is the real game. Because that is eventually God’s test. This is how I look at it and if you’re not up to the test then you are not being grateful and not being loyal to the opportunity that’s been given to you,” he added.

Kohli, who retired from T20 Internationals (T20I) at the end of the T20 World Cup 2024, will be seen playing for India in the Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. 

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