Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli had a hearty interaction on BCCI social media. The new India head coach Gambhir told Virat Kohli that he sometimes he looked for confrontation as he wanted to get into a zone where his concentration was at a peak.
During his playing career, Gautam Gambhir was a strong competitor who never hesitated to give back to opposing players when the occasion arose. He has previously been observed engaging in verbal battles with opposing players.
The 42-year-old batsman made a stunning confession regarding his on-field attitude on Wednesday (September 18) during a special interview with Virat Kohli, stating that he occasionally preferred to have fights with the players because it helped him get into the zone.
“I sometimes wanted a confrontation, honestly. Sometimes, that confrontation can get you into the zone too. That’s the reason. I don’t think you or I would want to change that. If someone asked you, ‘Do you regret having so many confrontations with the opposition?’ you would probably say, ‘Not at all.’ It’s about how you can get the result, how you can score runs. I don’t think I’ve ever had a confrontation that took me out of the zone. It has probably helped me more than it has hurt me,” Gambhir told Kohli in the chat on BCCI.tv.
Gautam Gambhir was the top-scorer for India in their 2011 World Cup final win over Sri Lanka. He scored 97 runs and first added 83 runs with Virat Kohli to steady the ship after India lost Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag early.
Then Gambhir added 109 runs with MS Dhoni to take India into position of advantage and was looking good for a century in the World Cup final, but was dismissed by Thisara Perera for 97.
Gambhir claimed that when he was out, he was disappointed not just because he missed out on becoming the first Indian batsman to reach a century in a World Cup final, but also because his wicket allowed Sri Lanka to make a comeback in the game.
“When people ask me why I played that shot, the reason is that before that shot, I was only thinking about what we needed for the chase. But when you reach 97, you start thinking, “I’m just one shot away from my milestone.” You start wondering how you’re going to celebrate—the first Indian to score 100 in a World Cup final. The disappointment wasn’t missing out on the 100; the disappointment was giving the opposition a breather, letting them back into the game,” he added.
