"That is where Virat is very strong" - Shikhar Dhawan mentions qualities of Virat Kohli to stage remarkable comeback in T20 World Cup
Indian batter Shikhar Dhawan lavished praise on teammate Virat Kohli for overcoming adversities in the past few months and said that the Delhi-born player has a strong self-belief.
Kohli has been in phenomenal form in the ongoing 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia, having scored 220 runs in four games at an impressive average of 220, including three 50-plus scores. In the course of his T20 World Cup masterclass, the Indian batter surpassed former Sri Lanka player Mahela Jayawardene to become the leading run-scorer of all time in the biennial event.
Kohli had endured a lengthy lean patch in the build-up to the Asia Cup with some even questioning his selection in the team for the showpiece event. In July 2022, India's World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev openly talked about dropping Kohli from T20I cricket over the latter's lack of runs.
Dhawan, who has been teammates with Kohli at both domestic and international level, said the world won't understand a player's mindset during their tough period. Speaking to India Today on how Virat Kohli fought every negativity around him, Dhawan mentioned:
"In a world like this, especially when cricket is at stake, a lot of emotions are attached. When a layman watches the game, they then talk with emotion. They don't know what goes through a cricketer's life like what is the process and what ups and downs they go through. Their emotions are toward the end result."
He further said:
"A cricketer is very process oriented and that makes the difference. But as a sportsman or celebrities you need to develop a shield to not let the negative comments into your head else the positivity disappears. That is where Virat is very strong and his self-belief was always there even when he wasn't making runs and still worked hard for them."
"Virat' Kohli's self-belief is very strong" - Shikhar Dhawan
During his early days of international cricket, Kohli had a penchant for eating street food, specifically Chole Bhature - a famous dish in North India. However, the Delhi player transformed himself and underwent a rigorous routine to raise the bar when it came to his fitness standards in a bid to prolong his international career.
Describing the three great qualities of his teammate, Dhawan said:
"Virat's self-belief is very strong. I feel all the successful people have a strong self-belief. Whenever you talk to him, his mindset is very positive. He is quite discipline as well when he started his career he used to eat everything and was a bit fat as well."
Dhawan added:
"And when he felt there was a need of a switch, he went to the other end. He used to consume a lot of protein. His willpower is very strong and also has great skills. So when these three things combine, you get that success."
Kohli made 26 in India's final group stage fixture against Zimbabwe on Sunday, November 6, at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). A win would guarantee a top finish in Group 2 and Rohit Sharma's team will face England in the second semi-final on November 10 in Adelaide. India posted an imposing 186/5 in the first innings courtesy half-centuries from KL Rahul and the red-hot Surya Kumar Yadav.