Virat Kohli: AB de Villiers and I have good understanding as we are good friends off the field

Virat Kohli is the only player to have scored three centuries in one IPL season.

Virat Kohli struck his third Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016 and therefore became the first player to score three tons in a single season. Kohli and AB de Villiers put on 229 off just 96 deliveries and that helped Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). De Villiers finished with an unbeaten 129 off just 52 deliveries and was initially the one, who started going for the big shots against Gujarat Lions. Kohli believes that he and de Villiers have a good understanding as they are good friends off the field. “There doesn’t have to be any conversation when batting with AB. More so, because we think very alike about how we want to bat and approach an innings. All we do is keep giving each other confidence and assuring each other, ‘Yes, you should go for your shots’ or ‘No, right now you should not go for the big shots,’  Kohli said. FULL CRICKET SCORECARD: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Lions, IPL 2016, Match 44 at Bengaluru

“That’s about the only conversation we have out there because we have such good understanding between us. We know what to do at what stage of the game, how to run hard, which fielder to target, etc. We understand each other so well because we are really good friends off the field. That helps. And it is a pleasure to bat with AB. I told him that today as well. The kind of shots he plays, you feel embarrassed,” he added, according to iplt20.com.

Kohli has been phenomenal when it comes to run chases. He says that he always has the time’s interest in mind while going about his business and knocking the runs down. My whole approach when it comes to run-chases is again that I only have the team’s score in mind. I don’t think what I am doing. I have a goal in front of me and when I am going for a target I forget how much I have scored or how I am batting. All I think about is how many runs and balls are left, which bowlers to target, where the gaps are, where and when do I get the boundaries, etc. ” READ: AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli’s record breaking innings in IPL 2016: Twitter reactions

“All those things keep you focused on what you have to do rather than what you want to do for yourself. Also, having my focus on the team’s score frees me up of from thinking about my score. It is a funny situation, because people say there is a lot of pressure when you are chasing. But I feel like I am more a part of the process when I am chasing a total. I have to build partnership with the man at the other end and together we think of how great a feeling it would be if we could get to the target. All this takes me away from the pressure of my own batting,” said the RCB skipper.

Talking about Kohli’s form, he has been one of the most consistent players in the shortest format — Be it in IPL or when he plays for India. Kohli says that he makes a conscious effort to achieve this. It is a conscious effort, to be very honest. It is more like ‘Eat, sleep, train, repeat’. If you want to be consistent, you need to be boring with your training, your food and your batting habits. You cannot take the sport for granted. During the last match [against Mumbai Indians] I told Dan [Vettori, RCB’s head coach] that I felt like I could hit every ball of the first over from Tim Southee for a six. But I stopped myself because I don’t want to disrespect the sport. I want to build my innings in the same way every time I go in to bat. Sometimes I will get out, like I did in the last game. But as long as I know that I wasn’t getting ahead of myself, I am okay. ” READ: IPL 2016: Virat Kohli’s ability to adapt is incredible, says Kane Williamson

“Once you start taking the sport and your form for granted, a bad patch comes in and it makes you chase after every single run. And trust me, it is the worst feeling. Yes, you have to have confidence and faith in your ability, but at the same time, balance it out with respect for the sport and the willingness to do the same thing again and again each time you go out to bat,” Kohli added.