I don't play for people, perceptions or reputations: Virat Kohli

Despite looking in good shape of winning the Southampton Test, the Men in Blue failed to cross the final line, losing their chance to level the five-match Test series against England. With the series already out of grasp, the Indian team is playing for pride in the ongoing dead rubber at The Oval. However, the skipper Virat Kohli has opined that despite his side’s loss, it has been a competitive series.

He has been in phenomenal form in the Test series, scoring 544 runs from the four Tests so far and also shattered the record books with his stellar display. The 29-year-old became the fourth Indian player to take 200-plus catches in international cricket. Since his debut back in 2008, only Ross Taylor (245) has taken more catches than him across formats.

Virat Kohli reveals his secret to success

Speaking in an interview with Michael Holding for Sky Sports, Kohli revealed his mantra of staying in top-form consistently. “I am focused on having a very solid life and being happy with life and doing the right thing on a daily basis. Then, everything feels like an enjoyable journey and part of the larger picture,” he said.

Moreover, he also went on to say that whatever he does is for the team to win and not for records and numbers. He also lauded Viv Richards and is looking forward to emulating him the way he inspired people. “I don’t play for people, perceptions or reputations. I only play for the team to win. I didn’t start to play for numbers. People will only remember your attitude and what you brought to the field.”

“Nobody talks about Sir Viv Richards’ average, they talk about his attitude and the charisma he brought to the field, how he inspired people. I see this as a greater responsibility to be put in the position I am by that power, to inspire people. For that, I need to do the right thing from morning till night,” the 29-year-old added.

Taking just 14 innings to reach to 6,000 runs from 5,000 runs, Virat Kohli achieved an extraordinary feat becoming the second-fastest Indian player to reach to 6,000 Test runs mark.

The batting dynamo also became the first Asian captain to score 500-plus runs in a Test series in England, making himself the first Indian captain to do it away from home. He has scored 544 runs from eight innings at an average of 68.00 in this series so far.

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