My journey is nothing short of a dream come true, Virat Kohli says

Dubai: Indian superstar Virat Kohli continues to dominate world cricket and once again lived up to expectations in the first ODI against New Zealand, carrying forward his rich vein of form.

Chasing 301 in Vadodara, Kohli produced a match-winning knock of 93, guiding India home and etching his name deeper into cricketing history. The innings took him past the 28,000-run mark, making him the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket, behind only batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Reflecting on the milestone, Kohli described his journey as nothing short of a dream. “If I look back at my whole journey, it feels unreal. I always believed in my abilities, but I knew I had to work extremely hard. God has blessed me with far more than I could ever ask for. I look back with grace and gratitude, and I feel incredibly proud,” he said.

Expressing his gratitude to fans, Kohli added, “It’s a blessing to bring happiness to so many people by simply doing what you love. I am living my dream, and seeing people smile makes me happy.”

After receiving his 45th Player of the Match award in ODIs, Kohli revealed a personal tradition. “I send my awards to my mum back home in Gurugram. She’s very proud of them,” he said with a smile.

However, Kohli also addressed a growing concern in Indian cricket — the rise of extreme fan culture. Drawing parallels with moments when crowds erupted in cheers upon the dismissal of CSK batters to welcome MS Dhoni, Kohli admitted he feels uncomfortable when similar reactions occur after the dismissal of openers like Rohit Sharma or Shubman Gill.

“I’m aware it happens at different times and venues, but honestly, I don’t feel good about it. I’ve seen the same thing happen with MS as well. It’s not a great feeling for the player walking back. I understand the crowd’s excitement, but I try to focus on my role and stay grateful,” he said.

Kohli’s much-hyped return to ODIs during the Australia tour initially faltered with two consecutive ducks. Since then, however, he has been unstoppable. In his last seven innings, he has scored 677 runs at a staggering average of 135.40, registering three centuries and a fifty-plus score in every outing.

The hunger for runs has pushed him back to “peak Kohli” levels, but milestones are clearly not his priority. Instead, he is focused on reading situations, playing risk-free cricket, and striking hard when opportunities arise — a hallmark of his greatness.

Against New Zealand, Kohli began aggressively before adjusting to the pitch and chase, reaching his fifty in 44 balls at a strike rate of 113. “In a chase, with a total on the board, you have to play the situation. Experience kicks in. My only focus was putting the team in a position to win comfortably,” he explained.

He further elaborated on his approach at No. 3. “If the situation is tricky, I back myself to counterattack. There’s no point being passive, but you also don’t play outrageous shots. When I walked in after Rohit got out, I felt if I pushed hard in the first 20 balls, we could put the opposition under pressure — and that made the difference.”