Virat Kohli received a lot of appreciation from Gujarat Titans assistant coach Vijay Dahiya, who said the former India captain’s unwavering determination and will to get better continue to make him stand out.
In Friday’s Indian Premier League encounter in Bengaluru, RCB defeated GT by five wickets thanks to Kohli’s game-changing 44-ball 81, earning him the Man of the encounter title.
Despite playing a solid knock, Dahiya disclosed that Kohli was dissatisfied, which is indicative of the batter’s high expectations.
“After the game, he was saying he could have converted it into a hundred. That tells you about his mindset,” PTI quoted Dahiya as saying at the post-match press conference.
Dahiya highlighted Kohli’s enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability to dominate the game as what makes him special.
“When you are commanding the situation, you make bowlers bowl where you want. He made the wicket look easy, but it wasn’t,” Dahiya noted, adding that the knock came against “world-class bowlers”.
“I think it’s amazing. If you look at his energy… his awareness, his energy and his willingness. That willingness to do well… his mindset sets him apart from a lot of other people.”
“He is still one of the best runners and keeps pushing youngsters for extra runs. That willingness to do well — that ‘zidd (relentless drive)’ — is what stands out,’ Dahiya said.
The GT assistant coach emphasized that Kohli’s motivation comes from within rather than from outside expectations.
“He is not playing to prove a point to anyone. It’s about the man in the mirror — trying to be better than yesterday,” he explained.
Dahiya said that GT might have lost the game by a few more runs with the bat after being restricted to 205 after initially appearing capable of scoring more than 220.
“We probably could have had a few more runs on the board,” he said, while maintaining that the team’s aggressive template remains unchanged. The approach has been driven by fearless cricket, especially from youngsters,” he added.
Additionally, Dahiya rejected the idea that seasoned batters should learn from the younger generation.
“It’s not about young or experienced. Everyone has a role. Experienced players know how to adapt, and they are self-inspired,” he said.
