Follow Us12 years after capturing the heartbeat of the nation, India are just a month away from playing an ODI World Cup at home. Unlike 2011, when social media wasn’t as big a thing, the upcoming 2023 World Cup is set to pose the Indian players with utmost pressure. Given that India were victorious the last time the tournament was played at home, the expectations are only going to be multi-fold.
Virat Kohli is no stranger to handling pressure. The 34-year-old, who is also the poster boy of Indian cricket, hasn’t won a title since the 2013 Champions Trophy, and failing to win the upcoming ODI World Cup would add to the woes. Ahead of the showpiece event, the former Indian skipper insisted that no one wants to win the tournament more than the ‘players’.
“The pressure is always there. The fans always say they want (the team) to win a cup very badly. I would like to say, not more than me. So, I am in the right place. Honestly, I know the expectations are there and the emotions of the people are there. But please know that no one wants to win more than players,” Kohli said at a promotional event in Bengaluru.
Incidentally, Kohli was also part of the 2011 World Cup squad when he was just 23, but that gave him a fair idea of the expectations from the Indian team. The right-hander, however, reassured that the challenge of winning the World Cup excites him and propels him to another level.
“Any challenge in front of you, you look forward to it. When difficulty comes in front of you get excited. You do not shy away from it. After 15 years I still like encounters, and the World Cup 2023 is one (challenge). It excites me, I need something new to, you know, propel me to another level,” Kohli added.
Kohli also recollected the jubilation of the 2011 event, adding that the ‘senior players’ emotions from the 2011 squad are now relatable for him. The 34-year-old also insisted that winning the World Cup in 2011 remains a ‘career highlight’ and added that he wasn’t aware of the magnitude of the tournament back then, at the age of 23.
“My career highlight is obviously winning the World Cup in 2011. I was 23 at the time, and I probably didn’t understand the magnitude of it. But now at 34, and has played many World Cups, which we haven’t been able to win, So, I understand the emotions of all the senior players (in 2011),” Kohli added.
The 2011 ODI World Cup was also Sachin Tendulkar’s last attempt at winning the coveted trophy, with the icon of the game coming close in South Africa in 2003, only to fall short against a rampant Australian side.
“All the more for Sachin Tendulkar, as it was his last World Cup. He had already played many World Cups by then and to win it in Mumbai, his hometown, was very special for him. I mean, it was stuff from dreams.”
"I remember the amount of pressure there was on all the players when we were travelling, Thankfully, there was no social media back then. It would have been a nightmare, honestly. But through the airports, it was always just one thing -- we need to win the Cup. The senior players were always under the pump and had to handle all that pressure. It was just brilliant. And that night (after the WC win) in itself was something magical," Kohli added.