According to former India captain Virat Kohli, playing cricket in front of crowded stadiums isn't as "intimidating" or stressful as playing on Wimbledon's Center Court. According to Kohli, only during major events, such as India vs. Pakistan at the World Cup, can the two games be compared in such aspects.
On Monday, Kohli attended the Men's Round of 16 match between Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur of Australia. When Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) celebrated winning their first IPL title, it was his first public appearance since the devastating Bengaluru stampede.
“It’s a lot of pressure because there are so many people in the stadium. But I’d say that it’s not as intimidating as the Centre Court because of the distance people are sitting from you. When we are batting on the pitch, the fans are too far away, so you can get lost in your space and do your own thing. You don’t hear comments, the cheers, or the boos straight in your ears, it’s only when you are fielding on the boundary but you don’t have the pressure of succeeding or failing with your individual skill,” Kohli told Vijay Amritraj in an interview for Star Sports.
“But here, everything’s on the line and can change with a point in tennis. The pressure these guys must be feeling… playing on the Centre Court must be tremendous. I have a lot of respect for tennis players for that reason — maintaining composure, fitness, and mental strength, it’s truly remarkable. The experience can be similar but the intimidation factor and the factor, I would say, could only be replicated for us in very peak kind of World Cup games, like an India-Pakistan World Cup game or the semi-final or a final where your legs are shivering because of sheer pressure. These guys must be facing that from the quarter-final onwards till the final, which I think is a lot of pressure onwards," he said.
Kohli has always been known for stepping up in these big matches, especially the ones against Pakistan. Meanwhile, Kohli retired from T20Is after India’s T20 World Cup win in 2024 and in May this year, called time on his India Test career as well.
