Virat Kohli and KL Rahul described their physical problems as “fighting through” because of the oppressive heat in Chennai. Next month, Virat Kohli will be 35. As difficult as it may be to accept, even the fittest cricketer in India is beginning to show signs of aging. Many people still remember the image of Kohli gasping for air after completing a double against South Africa during the T20 World Cup last year, and just last month, Kohli said he was ‘weary’ after India played three straight days of ODI cricket in the rain-drenched Asia Cup.
The most recent of these came during India’s World Cup opener against Australia in Chennai, where Kohli came out to bat at 0/1 and scored 85 along with a match-winning partnership with KL Rahul to help India win. Despite the standards of fitness he has set for himself and the world, as well as the required recovery time, Kohli still grinds and thrives in his performances.
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But that was far from an easy surface to bat on. The sun had already fallen when Kohli stepped out to bat, but the sweltering, humid conditions, along with the two-faced character of the wicket, had put him through one of the toughest tests of his career. He had been in early after bowling 50 overs in the exhausting heat of Chennai. Once Kohli got his eye in, the master of India’s chase started to work. It took him a few overs, a couple of errant heaves through the off side, and a reprieve via a missed catch.
With 56 balls remaining, India secured a commanding 6-wicket victory. Kohli and Rahul, two of the game’s key players, sat down for an open discussion about the various stages of the match. Kohli commented on how difficult it was to play at the Chepauk on such a demanding evening and acknowledged that eventually, fatigue did set in.
“One thing that for me was the highlights of our cooperation was how satisfied we were to kick the ball around, presumably because of the low total. Not necessarily considering the quantity of balls we played or the number of runs we scored. Just overcoming the physical difficulties that we had to face throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
You naturally feel more tense and exhausted than you actually are while under pressure. By simply bouncing the ball about, the team will reduce the score by 10–15 runs at a time. In a video posted by the Indian Express, Kohli said to Rahul, “That for me I felt like was something that really helped us build that big partnership.”
