Legendary batsman Virat Kohli, who concluded his T20I career with a Player of the Match performance, scoring 76 runs, as India edged out South Africa by seven runs to clinch the T20 World Cup final, expressed that the victory in Barbados felt destined for both him and the team.
Kohli shared these thoughts during a breakfast meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday. PM Modi asked Kohli about the challenges he faced during the tournament, remarking on the ups and downs of his journey.
Kohli responded, "Thank you for inviting us all here. This day, I will forever remember it. I was not able to contribute as much as I wanted to do. I told Rahul Dravid at one point that I was not able to do justice to myself and this team. He told me that he had the belief that I will deliver when the situation arises."
He continued, "I told Rohit Sharma also, when we walked out to bat (in the final), I was not very confident, but after the first delivery, I told Rohit 'What is this game? One day, you feel you won't even be able to score a run. And another day, you feel like it's all coming together'.
"Especially when wickets fell, I wanted to surrender myself to the team. I was in focus. I was in the zone. After that, I realised that whatever is meant to happen will happen. This (the triumph) was bound to happen for me and the team.”
"Even in the end, when the game headed towards a tense finish, we lived every ball. At one point, the hope was gone. After that Hardik Pandya took a wicket, and it changed and we came back with every passing delivery," said Kohli.
PM Modi emphasized the significant role of public support and Kohli’s self-belief at crucial moments. "Everyone felt it. You had scored 75 runs in the tournament before the final, and then 76 in the final itself. When you have everyone's support, it acts as a powerful motivator," he remarked.
Fast-bowler Jasprit Bumrah, the Player of the Tournament, discussed his contributions during challenging phases of the competition. "Whenever I bowl for India, it’s often in critical moments. I thrive in tough situations and gain immense confidence when I can help the team secure a win."
“So I feel very good when I am able to help the team and if I am able to win the match from any difficult situation, then I get a lot of confidence and I carry that confidence forward as well. And especially in this tournament, there were many situations where I had to bowl tough overs and I was able to help the team and win the match,” he said.
