When a strict Virat Kohli disregarded his coach’s advice and played on a “terrible pitch,” he said, “I want to bat on this risky wicket.”

Virat Kohli is well-known across the world for his masterful hitting, but another quality sets him apart from the competition: his combative temperament. Fans have often been mesmerised by his antics on the field, and R Sridhar describes yet another intriguing incident that exemplifies his strong attitude in his recently published book, “COACHING BEYOND: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team.”

The Indian men’s cricket team’s former fielding coach, Sridhar, recalls a time in 2018 when the squad was in South Africa for a full-fledged series that included all three forms.

According to Sridhar, the visitors were given access to a county field for practice while India was getting ready for the Test series, which India lost 1-2. The visitors were mostly seen practising their batting on the centre wicket, and the pitches adjacent to it were left empty due to the pitch’s danger.

The support crew had warned Kohli not to bat on the idle tracks, but he swiftly padded up and made the decision. Instead, he requested that the throwdown experts bowl at him with full force, demonstrating his attitude toward taking on new challenges.

“We were in South Africa in January 2018 getting ready for a Test series before to the England series. They had provided a county field for us to practise on. The pitches weren’t good at all. The side wickets in Western Province in Cape Town were far from perfect, but there was one centre wicket on which we were practising.

The 29-year-old star is expected to make his debut in India’s anticipated XI against New Zealand in the third T20I. “Virat observed that nobody was batting on the pitch because it may be a little bit hazardous. He promptly padded up, beckoned Raghu, Sanjay, and me, and announced his intention to bat. He refused to change his mind despite our best efforts to persuade him. I want Raghu to bowl at his quickest pace, I want to bat on this risky pitch, and I want it to be dangerous. He acted in this manner. Every time, he did it. In challenging circumstances, he deliberately caused himself great hardship and made sure he overcome it. As a result, he was developing his talent and psychologically strengthening himself “The event was described in a letter by the former fielding coach.

While Kohli’s dedication paid off, as he ended up being the Test series’ top run-scorer with 286 runs from three innings, including one century and the same number of half-centuries.

He continued his good play in England, where India lost the five-match Test series 4-1. Kohli amassed 593 runs in the five innings, including two hundred and three half-centuries, to conclude the series on English soil as the top run-scorer.

In 2023, Kohli is in fantastic shape and will be hoping to produce similar results in the forthcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which is set to begin on February 9 in Nagpur.