When Kohli thought he’s finished!

Virat Kohli isn’t only India’s captain but he is possibly the World’s best batsman at the moment. But 10 years ago after a match against Pakistan in the 2009 Champions Trophy in Centurion, he thought his India career was finished after following his cheap dismissal to a poor shot. Kohli had been flown in from India after an injury to Yuvraj Singh and he had left himself down.

“Tense (moment) was Champions Trophy 2009, where Yuvi pa fractured a finger, and I was flown in and in two days’ time I was playing against Pakistan at Centurion,” said Kohli on Saturday when asked his most tense moment against Pakistan.

“I hadn't experienced anything like that before, and I played a very bad shot, and I couldn't sleep until 6:00 in the morning. I was looking at the ceiling and thinking, ‘that's it, I've (been) flown in, and now I'm finished’. So that was the most tense moment I've experienced.”

Kohli was also asked about his most funny moment involving Pakistan but he refused to divulge details because it concerned two Pakistani players. “The most funny… there have been many funny moments. I mean, over the years -- I mean, I can't explain the incident properly, but it happened during the World Cup (semifinal), and in Mohali there was a little incident which I saw from the opposition side, which I can't really elaborate here (laughter). That was quite funny.

“It was involving Shahid Afridi and Wahab (Riaz). I was standing with the strikers, and I heard a conversation, which, as I said, I can't elaborate here, but in a high pressure-game, that made me laugh, that's all I can say.”

Kohli's dead bat for passes

Indian supporters are notorious for demanding free passes and even cricketers aren’t spared from being harassed by their friends and relatives. And if the match happens to be as big as India-Pakistan, the requests for passes and tickets go through the roof.

“When you leave for such tournaments you need to tell your friends straightaway,” said Kohli when asked as to how he dealt with requests for passes. “My friends asked me if they should come, I said ‘don’t ask me. If you want to come, do come. Otherwise, you all have very good TVs, sit at home and watch at leisure.’ Because once you start organising for tickets and passes and once you start (arranging) there’s no end (to the demand). We get a set number of tickets and if our family is coming, we need to accommodate the family. But I prefer people not coming (to me) for passes.”

Now, that’s what you call presenting full face of the bat!