"It's not 2014 and you're not the same player"- How AB de Villiers' pep talk gave Virat Kohli confidence in England
Virat Kohli had a horrifying run in the Test series against England in 2014 and many thought that his technique was just not good enough for swinging conditions. Over the next four years, the star batter made runs all around the world and established himself as one of the modern-day greats.
However, when India were set to tour England again in 2018, all eyes were on how Kohli would fare. The former Indian skipper was set for a county stint and many thought it would help him before the Test series. A neck injury meant that he had to miss the stint and that understandably made him a bit more nervous.
Speaking on the latest episode of RCB Podcast, here's what Virat Kohli had to say about how his former RCB teammate AB de Villiers helped him calm down before the crucial tour. He said:
"I spoke to AB De Villiers after I couldn't play County cricket in 2018 due to neck issue. I told him I'm feeling very jittery, AB told me 'It's not 2014 and you're not the same player. You'll be absolutely fine'. I became very calm after that."
Kohli also opened up on the hostile atmosphere at Edgbaston when he walked out to bat for his first innings of the 2018 Test series. He added:
"I remember before the first innings in 2018, my heart was racing as flashes of 2014 in England came to my mind. As soon as the wicket fell and as I walked out to the middle, about 30-35 thousand people started booing at me. They make such an atmosphere that you start feeling you just have no chance here."
Virat Kohli on finally breaking the England jinx
Virat Kohli received a lifeline when he was on 22 and made sure that England paid for their dropped chance. The then-Indian captain smashed a scintillating 149, keeping the visitors in the game.
The roar from Kohli after reaching the hundred spoke volumes about the pressure that was on him to prove that he was good enough to score in those conditions. On this, he stated:
"I had to face the first ball from Anderson, what were the odds (laughs). I was also dropped on 22 and that's why I could score 149. After that innings, I was just in my room and was emotional. Anushka was also a bit emotional as she understood why my heart was racing. It was like so much weight was lifted off my shoulders."
Virat Kohli was the highest run-scorer in the series, amassing 593 runs from five Tests at a staggering average of 59.30 with two hundreds.