No one is born perfect. I learnt from my mistakes: Kohli

Virat Kohli had an open talk during Mind Rocks youth summit 2013.

Here is the few things which Virat Kohli talked during the function:

• A key to Kohli's success is the fact that the first thing he does on the morning of a match or the beginning of a series is set personal targets for himself. End of the day, he makes it a point to look at himself in the mirror and ask if he had given his 100 per cent, and compensate for it the next day if he hadn't.

• Kohli's icon is the one-and-only Sachin Tendulkar, of course. The most important thing he has learnt from the master batsman is work ethic. "Even after 23 years, he is still passionate about the game like a 16-year-old," Kohli said.

• Virat Kohli admitted he lost focus around the time he played in his first IPL. The glamour and after-parties got to him. He lost his place in the Indian side subsequently. That's when Kohli decided to "get away for everything for one-and-a-half years, just focus on cricket and claw my way back into the Indian team".

• "I had passion when I started out but lacked vision. My father's death was the turning point."

• "If I could make it, you can too. Fairytales do come true. But self-belief is crucial."

• "I am a very no-nonsense guy. And I am a Dilliwalla... what to do!" (on showing his middle finger to the crowd during a match)

• It's still Test cricket which is top priority for Kohli. Growing up, he said, he would turn on the television to watch Team India win Tests against other sides and that's what drilled the importance and sanctity of Test cricket into him. He said Team India has had an indifferent patch in Tests lately but the onus is on him and others in the current side to do well and inspire the next generation of Team India hopefuls.

• Kohli said it's not easy for everyone to instantly find their comfort space when playing at the international level. He reckoned that Rohit Sharma is perhaps the most talented youngster in the Indian side but he struggled to seal his spot because he was constantly shuffled around in the batting order. Now that he's opening the batting consistently, the performance has likewise become consistent.

• The recent revelations about match-fixing in cricket have been very disheartening for Kohli. "Two or three players gave everyone else a bad name."

• "Self-belief is the reason for my success in the past three years."

• "We should leave Sachin alone. He is his own man. Let him decide when he retires. He's earned that right after 23 years of entertaining the nation."

• He said he has no girlfriend.

And Virat Kohli got such a raucous reception that proceedings were delayed for 5 minutes. The last youth icon who got such a reception at MindRocks was Priyanka Chopra.

 © India Today Group

Share on Google Plus

About Unknown

Loves Sachin Tendulkar | Admire Virat Kohli | And someone at @ViratGang and justvirat.blogspot.in , may be not someone - everything :)