Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar has shared what, in his view, makes Virat Kohli one of the greatest cricketers in the world. According to Nayar, Kohli’s biggest strength is his unwavering belief in himself and his methods, even during difficult times.
Nayar recently spoke about his conversations with Kohli after leaving the Indian team setup. He recalled staying in touch with the batting star during a tough phase in Australia, when Kohli scored two ducks in an ODI series. Despite the poor results, Kohli never lost confidence in his own approach.
Nayar recalls Kohli’s response during difficult phase
“I’ve known Virat for a really long time, but one thing I realised in the recent past is that the reason Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli is because of the belief systems he has. No matter what happens, that belief never changes,” said Nayar on JioStar.
Nayar revealed that he reached out to Kohli during the lean patch to check on him. He even offered to share an observation that he believed could help the batter.
“When Virat was struggling in Australia and had those two ducks in the ODI series, I’d just come out of the Indian team, so we were still in touch. I asked him if everything was okay and whether there was anything he wanted to talk about. He simply said, ‘No, all good. It’s part of the game.’ I then said, ‘I have an observation. Do you want to hear it?’ He smiled and replied, ‘No, I’ll do it my way.’ I laughed. After the next game, I got the answer, ‘I did it my way,’” Nayar revealed.
Nayar said this moment perfectly explained why Kohli belongs among cricket’s greatest players. He added that top athletes trust their own process when they face pressure and difficult situations.
“For me, that is the hallmark of Virat Kohli. The great players know how to do it when the going gets tough. We can analyse, imagine and envision, but they’ve done it repeatedly at the highest level. That’s why my respect for players like Virat and Rohit is so much,” Nayar concluded.
