'Money can put players in comfortable space': Virat Kohli urges youngsters for long-term commitment to cricket

Bengaluru: Batting talisman Virat Kohli urged the younger generation players to rise above the lure of instant fame that IPL offers to remain committed to the sport for a longer period and earn the respect of the wider cricketing world.

Kohli, who now plays just the 50-over format internationally, asked the upcoming cricketers to find their inner drive to be true all-format players.

"It's the drive. A lot of people relate drive to money nowadays. Yes, it's a big factor because when a format that gives you the hype and the recognition, the fame by scoring 40-50 off 20 balls and the kind of money that people can make in the IPL today, it can put you in a very comfortable space," said Kohli during the third edition of the RCB Innovation Lab's Indian Sports Summit.

Kohli, who gave his absolute best for the Test format before calling it a day, asked the budding cricketers to take the hard but hugely rewarding walk.

"They can say, you know what, this (T20 cricket) is brilliant. I don't need to handle pressure for too long. I can just go out there and smash the ball. Or you can say, I want to play for 15-20 years. I want to get recognition and respect of the cricketing world, of my own heroes and I want to fulfil this opportunity.

"That's a very different zone. You have to be very driven to be able to say, I'm going to commit to this (sport) for the next 10-15 years and it's going to be very, very hard but I'm up for it," he added.

However, Kohli did not belittle the skillsets of modern day cricketers, especially their serial six-hitting ability.

"It's exciting, there are a lot of exciting players who come in and play in a way that I didn't grow up learning. Honestly, these guys are way more advanced in terms of power hitting and explosive cricket," he said.

But the former Indian skipper said the real test of their skill will come in the business end of the IPL when the pitches grow more testing, which will demand a more cerebral approach to batting.

"The reality of the situation is, and that's what I always tell people, even in the IPL, let's wait till week 6. Now, they're going to be games where you're not going to get the 250s and the 260s and slam bang cricket every ball.

"When you go to chase 175 or 180 on a tricky pitch when you're 2 or 3 down, how do you do that? "At this stage of the tournament, barring a couple of guys, you will see the strike rates kind of narrowing down into a bracket."

So, how does a batter survive this tough phase? Kohli revealed his method.

"For me, it's dissecting the game and understanding how to go about a situation. For me, that can only happen with a strong foundation of learning the technical aspects of the game because to switch the game or to switch your batting according to the demands of the situation, you should have the ability to play in seven, eight different ways and not just one way.

"If the pitch is not allowing me to hit boundaries, I should be able to run my team to victory. For that, I have to prepare physically in a certain way. So, it's choices that you make mentally to kind of unlock your abilities," he detailed.