"Lot of things that happen on the outside are not ideal, but nothing can derail me from being motivated to play for India" - Virat Kohli
![<a href='https://www.sportskeeda.com/player/virat-kohli' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer'>Virat Kohli</a> last scored an international hundred in November 2019 [Credits: cricket.com.au]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/12/9ee38-16395579795431-1920.jpg?w=500)
A week after being stripped of the ODI captaincy, Virat Kohli opined that it is easier to accept the way things are and not dwell on the uncontrollables. He made it clear that these untimely developments will not affect his passion to perform for the country.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on December 8 announced an 18-member Test squad for the South Africa tour, mentioning the change of hands in the ODI captaincy at the very bottom of the press release. In the pre-departure press conference on Wednesday, Kohli revealed that he had been informed of the decision just 1.5 hours before the selection meeting.
It won’t be easy for Virat Kohli to have the peace of mind he would have liked before such an important Proteas sojourn. But India’s Test skipper appears to have already accepted the truth – no matter how bitter it is – and is getting into the zone of answering his critics with the bat.
“Nothing can derail me from being motivated to play for India, to be prepared for a tour like this and to perform to the best of my abilities, nothing has ever derailed and nothing can derail me from that. Yeah lot of things that happen on the outside are not ideal and not always how one expects them to be, but you have to understand there’s only so much you can do as an individual.
“We have to keep the things in right perspective and do the things that you can as an individual, that are in my control. So I am very focused, I am very mentally prepared and very excited to go to South Africa and do the best that I can for the team and make the team win,” Virat Kohli said in response to a Sportskeeda query.
Team India are currently undergoing a three-day quarantine in Mumbai. They will take off for South Africa on Thursday.
"When you’ve been doing well for a long time at the international level, you know how to perform" - Virat Kohli
Ever since Virat Kohli voluntarily relinquished the T20I captaincy on September 16, clamor has grown about how the 33-year-old can rediscover his mojo as a batter and notch up the elusive 71st international ton.
Virat Kohli, though, denied any correlation between captaincy and batting performances. Shedding light on the importance of clarity on one’s role in the side, he remarked that his extensive international experience will hold him in good stead to score runs.
I can’t comment on whether it’ll leave a positive impact on my batting or not, I don’t think those things anyone can predict. I have taken a lot of pride in performing as captain as well for the team and I have done the best that I could. What I know is that my motivation levels to perform for the team will not dip at all and I will always be prepared and eager to perform in the same manner. And about captaincy, one thing I can say is that I have been honest to my responsibility and I have done it to the best of my potential or whatever I could. That’s my assessment of my limited-overs captaincy.
“And the batting, when you know you’ve been doing well for a long time at the international level, you know how to perform. So those things can never go away from you and it’s about understanding your roles and understanding the situations that you are going to play and making sure that you perform for the team,” Virat Kohli explained.
India Test squad: Virat Kohli (Captain), KL Rahul, Mayank Agarwal, Priyank Panchal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant (wk), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Jayant Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Mohd. Shami, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Md. Siraj.
Standby Players: Navdeep Saini, Saurabh Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Arzan Nagwaswalla.
South Africa Test squad: Dean Elgar (captain), Temba Bavuma (vice-captain), Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Kagiso Rabada, Sarel Erwee, Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Anrich Nortje, Keegan Petersen, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne, Marco Jansen, Glenton Stuurman, Prenelan Subrayen, Sisanda Magala, Ryan Rickelton, Duanne Olivier.