Virat Kohli says his enduring success in one-day cricket has been driven by his desire to help India win rather than chase personal milestones, after completing 15,000 ODI runs.
Kohli became only the second batter in history, after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, to complete 15,000 runs in ODI cricket. He hit a record-extending 55th ton in the format to help India win the series opener against the West Indies here on Sunday.
“Of course, I mean, if you look at it from a numbers perspective, it’s a big number. But the goal is simple, to try and make the team win from difficult situations, different situations,” Kohli told BCCI.tv.
“That’s what I’ve tried to do over the years.”
The 37-year-old said longevity at the highest level is not possible if a player is driven primarily by statistics.
“You can only play for that long if you’re looking to make the team win. You can’t play for that long for numbers. Because if you need to get numbers, you will compromise on the main goal and you can’t play for long in that manner.
“So, I’m lucky to have been in this position for so long and of course, a big number like that to tick off along the way to another win is quite special.”
India captain Shubman Gill, who has grown up idolising Kohli, said he was delighted to share the milestone moment with his former skipper.
“Very happy, you know, growing up I never thought I’ll be alongside Virat bhai when he completes his 15,000 runs in ODIs,” Gill said.
“Watching him and idolising him, seeing what makes him so special and then being on the field with him and sharing those moments. I think the journey has been great so far and hopefully, going to be even better memories than we have had.”
Gill said Kohli’s confidence and ease on and off the field were evident in his current form.
“We can all see how much Virat bhai is enjoying his batting right now and I think whether he’s on the field or off the field, the ease and the confidence that he’s batting with right now, it also translates from off-field to on-field,” Gill said.
Kohli said batting alongside Gill did not require much discussion because the captain had a clear understanding of his game.
“So, when you bat with a player like that, we don’t talk much about batting. We talk about different things because he knows what to do and I know what to do,” he said.
“Sometimes on the basis of experience, sometimes in some areas, if he’s trying to hit, then I can chip in and say maybe not this, maybe this. But more interactions happen on the field while we’re fielding too, to bounce off ideas because the captain can have a lot of stuff going on.
“But batting with him, you don’t need to say much because he knows what to do and of course, he’s got great skill.”
Kohli also backed Gill’s leadership, saying there was a reason he had been entrusted with the captaincy.
“There’s a reason why he’s leading the team because he has the right perspective to look at the game in a way that, he can make the team win,” he said.
Kohli also stressed on the role of senior players in keeping a positive atmosphere, particularly in pressure situations.
“I’ve known him since the time he came into the team. I’ve always shared a very free-flowing and fun-filled camaraderie with him,” Kohli said.
“Now, he’s in a leadership position. I’ve been in that position for a long time and now, I’m a senior player. So, when senior players or the leaders in the team are smiling, laughing, keeping the environment light, all the other players feel like, yes, there’s no problem.
“Even if it’s a big pressure game, everyone is laughing. So, it just relaxes all the other guys because we are not taking pressure. We are showing that it’s fine. We can smile and have a good laugh but be professional on the field.”