Virat Kohli has urged the next wave of cricketers to look beyond the instant buzz that the IPL can bring and commit to the sport for the long haul, with the goal of earning lasting admiration from the wider cricketing community. Speaking at the third Indian Sports Summit organised by the RCB Innovation Lab, the former India captain—now focusing on the 50-over format at international level—told emerging players that the key is to cultivate an inner drive that goes beyond short-term glamour. He acknowledged how tempting it is to chase quick recognition: a competition that rewards big hitting and delivers headlines with innings like 40 to 50 off only 20 balls, along with the money attached to the tournament, can make the “comfortable” option feel like the obvious one.
Kohli then made a pointed case for patience and perseverance, urging youngsters to take the tougher route that ultimately pays back in experience, skill, and respect. He said players may convince themselves that T20 is enough because it allows them to step out, hit through pressure in short bursts, and then move on. But he suggested an alternative mindset—one that aims for 15 to 20 years of involvement, seeking recognition from the game’s own heroes and fulfilling the opportunity that comes with sustained growth. In his view, choosing that path means entering a different mindset entirely: it demands a level of motivation strong enough to commit for a decade or more, even when the workload and challenges remain relentless.
While Kohli stressed the importance of long-term commitment, he did not dismiss the modern game’s abilities—particularly the constant threat of six-hitting. He said it is exciting to watch players arrive and play in styles he never grew up learning, praising how far ahead today’s batters are in power and explosive execution. However, he argued that the toughest test of those skills will arrive during the later stages of the IPL, when conditions tend to become more difficult. As pitches turn less forgiving, he believes batting will require a more intelligent, measured approach rather than relying solely on raw momentum.
The batting great also pointed to the tournament’s natural rhythm, saying that early fireworks can be misleading. He advised people to “wait till week 6,” expecting a stretch of matches where scores of 250 or 260 will not be as common, and where the game will not revolve around smashing at full throttle on every delivery. In those scenarios, he explained, the challenge becomes sharper—especially when chasing targets in the region of 175 or 180 on a difficult surface, with the team already struggling at 2 or 3 wickets down. Kohli noted that, as the competition moves forward, strike rates tend to narrow into a smaller range, and that raises the question of how batters manage to keep their innings alive through that demanding phase.
To answer that, Kohli highlighted a method grounded in reading the match situation. For him, it begins with dissecting the game and understanding how to handle specific moments. He said that this kind of adaptation is only possible when a batter has a strong technical foundation, because changing gears in response to the context requires the ability to play in several different ways—not just one default style. If the pitch does not allow boundaries, Kohli’s expectation is that a batter should still be able to steer the team toward victory, and that demands physical preparation as well as mental choices. In his words, the process involves the decisions you make mentally to unlock the abilities you have built over time.
