India captain Virat Kohli said he loved playing in the Indian Premier League because it provided unique chances to interact with other teams and the camaraderie it produced.
In an interview with Star Sports on a show called ‘Cricket Connected’, Kohli talked about his love for the IPL.
“You do play all your tournaments, which is one team versus another, ICC tournaments come every now and then, but even in ICC tournaments, you don’t really interact with the other team players or you see the other teams so often every now and then,” Kohli said.
“But in the IPL, you are just probably meeting another team every second or third day and that’s the beauty of the IPL, you are playing in a different mahol [atmosphere]. I absolutely love that tournament and also for the camaraderie which you share with so many new players that you play with, so many players that you have known for a long time now, not from your own country, those who you don’t see often, and there is one reason why everyone loves the IPL too, there is a connect, of players and fans and of viewers,” he added.
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Kohli also said that India teammate Yuzvendra Chahal has been the biggest joker during the lockdown.
“Yuzi has been the joker while Jasprit [Bumrah] has been a revelation, I did not know that he can have such a detailed conversation in public. I knew he could be good in a one-on-one interaction but his opening up in front of everyone – I did not think that would happen. That has been great to see,” Kohli said about his teammates.
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The Indian skipper also wished for his fast bowlers to come together and conduct an Instagram live session.
“I want to see, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami coming together, and having a conversation. You know, I have seen what do they talk about when they come together. I want to see how much control do they have on themselves and their characters come out.”
In an interview where he interacted with kids from around the country, Kohli also spoke about trying his hand at guitar, and baking a cake for Anushka Sharma’s birthday. Spending time with Sharma has been a sliver lining for Kohli during the lockdown, the Indian captain said. Kohli also added he could look at something doing something later in life with cooking because he understood flavours.
“Since we have known each other, this is honestly the longest we have spent together. Usually, I am on tour or Anushka has been working, I go see her or she’s working in Mumbai and I happened to be home during those days. There’s some thing or the other happening.
“There’s one person going to work or doing something that has to be done, but this is the time when both of us have just been together every day and it’s been so amazing. We never thought that we would get to spend so much time like this to spend with each other every day. It’s so nice to know that there’s a silver lining in any situation in life,” Kohli said.
Watch the entire interview here:
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