Virat Kohli’s first-ever on-camera interview

Brut India

Even when he was 19, he would speak his mind… Hear Virat Kohli making some interesting points about problems facing India’s senior cricket team ahead of the 2007 World Cup.

Transcript

00:00India's batting is their strength and I believe that they can chase any score.

00:05I believe that no matter how big a player he is, if the media puts pressure on him,

00:08it will have a psychological effect on him.

00:10The Indian team is a very talented team.

00:13The batting line-up is considered to be the best in the world on paper,

00:16but the matter is how they perform in the field.

00:19The bowling line-up is also very good.

00:21We have a lot of good bowlers and new talent.

00:24Like Munaf, Zaheer, Srisanth, all of them are young

00:28and they have gained a lot of experience.

00:30So there are a lot of chances for India to win.

00:32Do you feel that the Indian team is balanced?

00:34If we talk about batting and bowling, do you feel that there is a balance in the Indian team?

00:39Yes, the Indian team has a good balance.

00:42That's why we have kept the same balling and batting in mind.

00:47The matter is how they gel up in the field and perform as a unit.

00:52Pirat, I would like to know from you,

00:54last year, Virender Sehwag made the team in April 2005,

00:57almost two years ago.

00:59In such a situation, you are taking him to a big tournament like the World Cup.

01:03Do you think this is right?

01:05You are taking a player like Uthappa along with you.

01:08You are taking two openers along with you.

01:09You have Janguli and Tendulkar with you.

01:11There are four players who can open.

01:13Do you think it is right to take Sehwag in such a situation?

01:17Yes, I agree that it is right on the part of Dravid,

01:19because the World Cup is a big tournament.

01:22You need experience there.

01:23You can't count on youth that much.

01:25So, I think it is the right decision.

01:28He is very experienced and has made a lot of runs for India.

01:30Dileep Winkzer had said that he took Sehwag on the insistence of Dravid.

01:35Do you think that the team went to the West Indies for the World Cup

01:39and after that, they are choosing such an opener?

01:41Does this affect the team's morale?

01:44Will it affect Sehwag's morale?

01:46Yes, we shouldn't have disclosed such a thing on TV.

01:49It will affect Sehwag's morale.

01:52He was feeling a bit down.

01:54After this news came out, his confidence was a bit low.

01:58The day the team announced that they will play in the Pathan team,

02:02Winkzer said that if they don't perform well in this match,

02:06they won't go to the West Indies again.

02:08Don't you think this affects the player a lot?

02:11Yes, it affects a lot.

02:12Because once you are announced,

02:14a cricketer has to make his own mindset.

02:17If you are told that you don't have confidence in yourself,

02:22it affects you a lot.

02:23I would like to know one thing from you.

02:25Why doesn't India have the guts to play five game-winners?

02:30We always see that India always plays one extra batsman.

02:33On paper, India has such batsmen

02:38who can destroy any game-winning attack in the world.

02:41Despite this, India always plays one extra batsman.

02:46What do you think is the reason for this?

02:49India has not been able to defend well in the past.

02:53Even if they play five ballers,

02:55they don't have the capacity to defend a big score.

02:58India's batting is strong.

03:00I believe that India's batting can chase any score.

03:04All-rounders are still not able to come to us.

03:07Pathan was there, but they were not able to build their level.

03:11All-rounders like Jack Scarlet have made their mark.

03:14But Pathan is still struggling.

03:17He doesn't bat well when he's good at bowling.

03:19He doesn't bowl well when he's good at batting.

03:21Do you think that if all-rounders come to India,

03:25or players like Sachin Tendulkar,

03:27Virender Sehwag or Sourav Ganguly,

03:30is there a player who can make a big difference

03:33by playing an all-rounder?

03:35Look at Sachin, Sehwag and Yuvraj.

03:38All three of them can bowl.

03:40They bowl 5-6 overs in every match.

03:42If they concentrate more on bowling,

03:44they can become good all-rounders.

03:46It has an effect on the game.

03:48Instead of focusing on the game,

03:51you are modeling, adding, making money.

03:54Each player is endorsed by 30 brands.

03:57It must have an effect on the game.

03:59I don't think it has an effect on the game.

04:01If you don't perform, these things come out.

04:05If you keep winning, no one will talk about endorsements.

04:07Both of you are players.

04:09Maybe that's why you are not ready to accept that it has an effect.

04:12I would like to know one thing.

04:13The media has become a big power these days.

04:16The media pressurizes a lot.

04:18They make you a hero in a day.

04:20In a day, if Dhoni scores a few fours,

04:23it is said that Dhoni has washed it.

04:25The next day, the headline comes that Dhoni has been washed.

04:27How do you see it?

04:29Does the media put a lot of pressure on the players?

04:31Or are the players capable of tolerating the pressure of the media?

04:36And it doesn't affect them.

04:39According to me, the media puts a lot of pressure.

04:41No matter how big a player you are,

04:42even Sachin was put under a lot of pressure by the media.

04:45So I agree that no matter how big a player you are,

04:47if the media puts pressure on him,

04:49it will have a psychological effect on him.

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