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Virat Kohli: India’s Man For All Seasons
Virat Kohli speaks about his perfect night at the Eden Gardens that derailed Pakistan.
Eden Gardens screamed to its hilt twice on Saturday night. Once when Sachin Tendulkar walked out to the middle for a little felicitation ceremony before the start of play, and next when Virat Kohli came in to bat, scored a match-winning half century and pointed towards the balcony to bow to the master.
Eden had erupted, Eden had gone bonkers. A legend in the stands and a legend in the making had just shared pleasantries through a mere eye contact. A bow from the pitch, a wave from the stands and later a heartening smile between the two summed up the story of the night at Kolkata that was called India versus Pakistan.
Seldom did Eden go quiet, very rarely Eden would get into a sob, but Virat would be their Man Friday. He brought those smiles back with his clever stroke-play, supple wrists and smooth footwork to rekindle a belief time and again that he was there; there to conquer and to stand tall. Virat scored an unbeaten 55, 34 of them were shots of authority towards the boundary ropes and the rest were needled into gaps with surgical precision. The result; India recorded their fifth win against Pakistan in T20 World Cups and bounced back into the competition after a loss in the first game.
It was that man again, who had done the job for India, who had yet again stood right till the end to take his team through. The run of emotions, the vigour to get back strong after an initial blip and the honour of performing in front of his cricketing idol, man of the moment Virat Kohli says it all in a chat with BCCI.TV.
As a team, you couldn’t have asked for a better comeback, a better stage and a better run-chase. How eager were you to put that loss behind and make a telling statement in this game?
Absolutely! You put it right. Last game, I was really disappointed with myself. I got out on 25 (23), I wanted to win the game for the team but that is how cricket goes sometimes. I knew if I had batted till 40-45 runs, we could have pulled that game out of trouble and we could have won that one as well. It doesn’t happen every time.
I was really disappointed after that loss. I went back to the room and thought about what needs to be done. Tonight, we were in a similar situation in this game. We were 23/3 chasing a big score in 18 overs against a strong Pakistan bowling attack. But such games and situations just improve you as a cricketer and I look forward to challenges like these.
You’ve spoken about your mindset in the past, but how is the batsman in you able to do it time and again?
It is very important to assess the field and understand how much the ball is turning and gripping from the surface. Accordingly you pick out bowlers, where they are trying to bowl at you and try to get into the head of the bowler and make him bowl where you want him to bowl. That is the key. That is where intent counts.
If you are showing the bowler that you are coming towards him, then it is a different mindset for him rather than making him feel that you are guessing what is going to happen. It is just that sort of mindset that I take in, and it helps me to be on top of those pressure situations. It is coming off nicely at the moment, I just like to keep things simple and continue with the same.
What was your thought process before walking out to bat tonight during the run-chase? How would you put today’s innings into perspective?
I told myself in the change room that I am going to back myself to play good cricketing shots. That is something that we learn as kids and there is no reason why you cannot go and execute good cricketing shots. At the end of the day you are playing cricket and not trying to slog the ball. I was confident that I needed to play with a straight bat so that the strike keeps rotating. That mindset didn’t change anytime in the innings because I didn’t go in with a different mindset.
I went in with the same mindset to bat and stuck to it throughout. This works for me in all situations. I remain pretty calm. Luckily my heart rate was low (smiles) when we lost three wickets, it could have shot up as it was a big game and a full stadium at the Eden Gardens. I am just grateful I was able to do it.
Talking about the big occasion, we saw you bow to Sachin Tendulkar in the stands. It would have been special to perform in front of your cricketing idol.
I can’t express the feeling. My brother is here as well and Sachin Tendulkar was up there in the stands. I have seen Sachin paaji do that for India for years together and seen how people shout for him. I have gotten a chance to do it in front of him and he is celebrating. I cannot explain that feeling as a youngster who has grown up playing cricket because of him. To be able to do it in front of him and give him happiness; I am very grateful for it and it is a very emotional moment.
Two more games to go; this win should definitely boost confidence levels in the team, isn’t it?
I think this is a perfect catalyst for us going forward into this tournament. You have to stay positive, no matter what. That is the name of the game in international cricket. There is nothing you can do about a bad loss, but what you have to do is learn from it, and come out positive. When you are sitting in that room, you want to be the guy that makes the difference in the game and win the game for the team single-handedly. If all eleven guys can think like that, then the team is in a good space.
© Anand Subramaniam, BCCI
Virat Kohli In Action During The India vs Pakistan ICC World Twenty20 Match At Eden Gardens In Kolkata
© YAHOO! CRICKET
Virat Kohli’s #FeelLoveUseHate Campaign With adidas Cricket
© adidas Cricket
The Reason Why adidas India Is Getting Virat Kohli To Talk About Love And Hate Via #FeelLoveUseHate
#FeelLoveUseHate manages to play around well with the brand ambassador, Virat Kohli and leverage him the best way a sportswear brand can in this digital age.
Virat Kohli is the story of true grit and determination. Loved and loathed in equal measure by cricket crazy fans, the cricketer has now risen as the captain of the test cricket team and the vice-captain of ODI with a powerful performance record to boot. He is the fastest batsman in the world to score 1000 runs in the T20s, he is also the top-ranked T20 batsman in the ICC ratings.
Former Australia captain Steve Waugh is of the opinion that Kohli is the greatest T20 batsman right now and that there’s a bit of Tendulkar in him. Kohli has indeed inherited a lot from Sachin Tendulkar, the God of Cricket.
Post a long and memorable association of 16 years with Tendulkar, Adidas found a new brand face in the young and brash Kohli three years ago. His extreme passion for cricket, vivacious sportsmanship and the ability to absorb brickbats, has proved to be a winning combination for the sports brand.
Kohli has been the brand ambassador of Adidas featuring in a number of campaigns inspired by his own life. Last cricket season, it was his ‘I target the moment’ ad that created the waves, this time it’s the latest Adidas campaign #FeelLoveUseHate that’s going to be loved.
The central concept takes a good measure of inspiration from his own journey as a cricketer: how he’s been loved to bits at times, as well as hated in equal parts. It tells the story of an ever-evolving cricketer, who treats the love and hate with tact – he feels the love to fuel himself and uses the hate to challenge himself.
Conceptualised by DDB Mudra, the ad takes the viewer through the various things that are evoked both by love and hate, while Kohli is seen playing to the lines. Love is the fuel, hate is the driver; love is what helps you rise, hate is what is waiting to see you fall; love keeps no scores, hate is settling scores; love gives everything, hate takes everything. News headlines on Kohli are interspersed in between the fast paced story.
In the end what matters the most is one’s game. So ‘Feel Love Use Hate’.
The brand’s social media properties have just begun the buzz and we will be treated to more visuals like this one during this T20:
A similar approach has been adopted for its Reebok India brand featuring brand ambassador Kangana Ranaut. The latest TVC for the ‘Be more human’ campaign features Ranaut sweating it out, while the dialogues narrate her own struggles in life and how she overcame them. However, the execution and storytelling is very different. A series of powerful dialogues begin: “What did you feel when your father didn’t support your dreams?” “Focused,” she replies. And when the question’s on her career low: “After your first movie you didn’t get any new offers. How did you deal with that?” She says, “I raised my game.” All questions are answered while she continues with her exercise regime of yoga, weights, crossfit, etc.
Adidas India’s ‘#FeelLoveUseHate’ manages to play around well with its brand ambassador, Virat Kohli, to leverage him the best way a brand can, and position itself as an enabler in the process. By celebrating both love and hatred that is often showered even on the best players, the brand has taken a realistic stand in a sportpersons’ life. Indeed all that matters in the end, is your game.
Besides, the new ad is probably the Indian adaptation of last year’s Adidas Soccer ad ‘#ThereWillBeHaters’ featuring some of the world’s best footballers, Gareth Bale, James Rodríguez, Luis Suárez and Karim Benzema, who are much hated and trolled for their style.
© LIGHTHOUSE INSIGHTS
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