'I was in complete awe, felt like fantasy land' - Virat Kohli recalls pressure of sharing dressing room with India greats

Virat Kohli recently opened up on his experience of featuring in his debut Indian Premier League season, which was also the tournament's first in 2008. He recalled the thrill and intensity of sharing the Royal Challengers Bengaluru dressing room with some of India's most prominent cricketers.

The ace batter shared that the thrill was coupled with an added sense of expectations too. He also admitted that his level wasn't at the required standard at that point of time.

“The first time I played in IPL, I was in complete awe. I hadn’t really met anyone before - except maybe Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh from our North Zone days - so walking into a dressing room with legends like Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid felt like fantasy land. But with that excitement came pressure. I knew my game wasn’t quite at that level yet, and I had to prove myself. That pressure eventually caught up with me in the first season. Still, the experience was unforgettable,” shared Kohli while speaking exclusively on ‘18 Calling 18’ on JioHotstar.

Wasn’t really able to crack the IPL in a big way early on: Kohli

Kohli was frank in acknowledging that the first few years were a bit of a challenge for him. However, he remarked that things started falling in place from the 2011 edition onwards; due to Kohli regularly being sent in to bat at the No. 3 position. 

“In my first three years with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, I didn’t get many opportunities to bat in the top-order. I was usually sent in lower down. So, I wasn’t really able to crack the IPL in a big way early on, apart from the occasional impactful knock. But the 2009 season felt a bit better for me. The pitches that year suited my game - the ball was coming onto the bat nicely, and I could play my shots more freely. It was definitely an interesting phase in my career. From 2010 onwards, I started performing more consistently, and by 2011, I was regularly batting at number three. That’s when my IPL journey really began to take shape,” added Kohli.

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The former RCB skipper has become one of the faces of the IPL over the years. Currently, he stands as the leading run-scorer of the tournament. He is currently an active part of the Bengaluru-based franchise's setup. It is undeniable that Kohli's batting form will be a major factor in deciding where RCB will end up as far as the ongoing edition is concerned.