JOIN USVirat Kohli and composure – it may appear a bit of an oxymoron to take both in the same breath but the Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper believes that’s what will be the key in the IPL-9 final here on Sunday.
Kohli has been in two finals with RCB and he has lost both of them, and so he understands the dos and don’ts to be followed in a big match.
“I think the one word that comes to mind is composure,” he said when asked about what would be the determining factor.
“It’s very similar to being in a pressure situation while you are batting or bowling. On occasions like this, where it starts is the change room. How you look at the atmosphere out there on the ground, how excited or nervous you get, whether your heart rate is shooting up before you even start warm-ups, all those things are very, very important for a person to understand.
“Whether you win or lose, that will not stay. Just to stay away from that. Be attached yet be detached, it’s a classic example of that saying where you want to win, but at the same time you are not so attached to it that you are cursing yourself or being too hard on yourself,” he explained.
Kohli, however, dismissed the team being under any pressure because of the magnitude of the occasion.
“We have only been speaking about one thing that being under pressure should be a privilege for a sportsman playing at this level,” he noted. “That’s something that the youngsters have really picked up well. Someone like (Yuzvendra) Chahal, he has played four games lesser than most and he is a wicket or two lesser than Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar). That speaks volumes of the character that some of these youngsters possess. It’s just about them not getting over-excited, understanding what has given them success,” he stressed.
This season’s highest run-getter also acknowledged the unstinted support of Bengaluru crowd. “In terms of the campaign so far, the support has always been wonderful. Even when we have not done well, the crowds have come and supported us. It is great to see the joy among the people. We can see (the joy) in the training sessions or at the hotel — people are happy and excited that we are in the final. We have made two finals, but we couldn't cross the line. But, this one is for them to see in front of them. In a stadium where the atmosphere has always been electric, tomorrow is going to be even more special for them.”