[Watch] When Virat Kohli said he is 'here to play cricket, not to earn anyone's respect'
An old video of Virat Kohli from India's tour of Australia in 2014 has resurfaced on the internet in which he is heard saying that he is not looking to earn anyone's respect but just wants to score runs. The throwback clip has reemerged on social media in the wake of Amit Mishra's comments in a recent interview in which he claimed that Kohli has changed with fame and power.
Speaking on Shubhankar Mishra’s YouTube show 'Unplugged', leg-spinner Mishra claimed that Kohli is not the same person he once was and that the two have almost stopped talking.
While there have been mixed responses to Mishra's claims, an old video has resurfaced on social media in which Kohli is heard sharing his thoughts on his verbal duels with the Australians on the 2014 tour. It may be recalled that the batter was involved in a few heated exchanges with Aussies, especially Mitchell Johnson.
"They [Aussies] said, no unnecessary respect for him. I said, I don't need it. I am out here to play cricket, not to earn anyone's respect. As long as I'm scoring runs I'm happy with it. If you like it, good. If you don't, I am not bothered. I don't really care what they think," the former Indian captain is heard saying in the clip.
Kohli was the second-leading run-getter in the 2014 India vs Australia Test series. In eight innings, he hammered 692 runs at an average of 86.50, with four hundreds and one half-century.
What Amit Mishra said about Virat Kohli in his interview
During his appearance on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube show, Mishra compared the personalities of Rohit Sharma and Kohli. While claiming that Rohit has not changed much over the years, he added that Kohli is not the same person he once was.
"I won't lie. As a cricketer, I respect him [Kohli] a lot, but I don't share the same equation with him as I used to. Why does Virat have less friends? His and Rohit's natures are different. I'll tell you the best thing about Rohit. When I met him the first day and when I meet him today, he is the same person," Mishra commented.
"I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose... But there is a huge difference in the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli, the captain. Whenever he meets me, he is very respectful, but it's obviously not the same anymore," he added.
Having made his India debut in 2003, Mishra has featured in 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, claiming 76, 64 and 16 wickets, respectively.