Former India fielding coach T Dilip has said that Virat Kohli’s ability to maintain his intensity even when the ball did not come to him impressed him the most, admitting that intensity was non-negotiable for the 37-year-old.
“What impressed me most is not the actions what he does when the ball is at him but also when the ball is not at him. You will see him running towards the non-striker and to take that throw and throwing back to the wicketkeeper,” Dilip told JioStar.
“When it comes to Virat Kohli, intensity is non-negotiable. You have seen in power play how he is at your batsman at covers or short mid wicket with his reflexes, with his dives, with his stops. Even in the last series, he was putting those dives and sharp at you all the time,” he added.
Dilip, who left his role with the team after the England tour, also said that Kohli’s intensity was contagious and there weren’t a lot of differences in him in a practice session or a game.
“The intensity is always contagious when he is around. With Virat Kohli, one thing you always see is there is not much difference between him in a practice session or a match. And that’s very, very important because it’s just not Virat Kohli who’s fielding. There are five other players who are fielding with him who have stretched their limits when they are doing with Virat Kohli. That is the influence he has on the group actually”.
“Even at this juncture of his career, even today he goes to long on to long on in the last overs, and he is the first one to run out. And that’s a fabulous thing to do as a team,” he said.
Dilip also revealed why he introduced fielding medals inside the dressing room, admitting that it helped develop a ‘positive competition’ within the team.
“What I thought was to recognise the overall impact as a fielder rather than just a spectacular catch. But what it brought in was that all the 11 players on the field, who may not be in the hotspots, had a feeling inside them that, ‘A little contribution would get me that award.’ That positive competition among the group had started and, automatically, players started to notice even small things while being on the field.”
“They celebrated when their other teammates did something exceptional. And that was a huge factor for me because, at the end of the day, the fielding medal is a team award. The players embraced it, fans supported it, and fielding got the recognition it deserved the most,” he said.