When I have something to overcome, I get charged up: Virat Kohli

Virat Kohil’s form in red-ball cricket was a huge matter of discussion ahead of the two-match series against West Indies. Especially with Cheteshwar Pujara getting dropped, a lot of former cricketers questioned Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s future as they are not getting any younger. On top of that, Virat’s form, too, was a bit concern. He did a good job in the last edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy but failed to deliver in the World Test Championship final against Australia.

However, the series against West Indies brought out the best in him. The cricketer looked in terrific touch in the opening match of the series, while in the second, he scored a brilliant century, which helped India post 438 runs in the first innings. Speaking about his performance, the 34-year-old mentioned that the surface wasn’t an easy one to bat on, and he enjoyed his time in the middle.

“I really enjoyed myself out there. I was in the rhythm, I wanted to be in. Started in challenging times. I switch on during these times. When I have something to overcome, I get charged up. I had to be patient as the outfield was slow. It was very satisfying as I had to do the hard yards,” Kohli said after the end of play on Day 2.

Very grateful I got to play 500 games for India: Virat Kohli

The second Test against West Indies marked Virat Kohli’s 500th match in international cricket. The match also saw Virat hitting a Test century away from home after four long years. The former India skipper also added, saying that he couldn’t ask for a better start to the match.

“Firstly, very grateful I got to play 500 games for India. I have got 15 centuries away from home, I have got more hundreds away than at home. I have got a few fifty-plus scores. I just have to focus on what I have to do for the team. I try to help the team. These stats and milestones mean something to me when the team needs me. West Indies and India go a long way. It is a special occasion for me. Couldn’t have asked for a better beginning to the Test,” Kohli added.