BENGALURU: Former India captain Virat Kohli, who is no stranger to claiming a World Cup, on Monday said that winning the prestigious trophy in 2011, when he was just 23 years of age, is a career highlight for him.
Kohli who led India to the ICC U-19 World Cup victory in 2008, was also a part of the Indian side that triumphed in the 2011 ODI World Cup at home.
“My career highlight is 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 said during a promotional event in Bengaluru.
“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,” said Kohli.
Kohli also recalled the amount of pressure that was placed on players during the 2011 World Cup at home.
“I remember the amount of pressure there was on all the players when we were travelling, Thankfully, there were no social media back then. It would have been a nightmare, honestly. But through the airports, it was always just one thing — we needed 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,” he added.
India’s star batter Kohli is ready for the forthcoming ODI World Cup challenge. This year’s competition will be held in India. It will begin on October 5, with the final match on November 19.
Meanwhile, before the former India captain takes the field in the World Cup he will be seen in action when Men in Blue will lock horns with Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2023 tournament on September 2 in Sri Lanka. (ANI)