MUMBAI: Indian skipper Virat
Kohli may not have the tact of his predecessor while dealing with impertinent questions from the media, but he sure knows how to hit potential tricky googlies out of the park.
There was a bit of restiveness in the sizeable media contingent assembled at a suburban hotel prior to the team's departure for the ICC
Champions Trophy on Wednesday as one of them wanted to know what would be India's stand on playing their tournament opener against Pakistan in light of the recent cross-border tensions.
"
Aap ki kya rai hain," Virat countered and gave him a stare which he would normally reserve for
Steve Smith in the heat of battle. "
Main aap ki rai jaanna chahta hoon," shot back the reporter showing persistence of a
Glenn McGrath on a flat deck. "
Mujhe lagta hain, aap apni rai banake aaye hain," thundered back the skipper with another 'if only looks could kill' stare.
The timely intervention of the
BCCI media manager helped at that stage as temperatures were rising. It also made Kohli, normally a free talker, a bit guarded.
Kohli loves a duel with the old enemy and slammed a hundred in the
World Cup
opener in Adelaide in 2015, after declaring post-match that the crowd in the hotel foyer and the atmosphere on the road leading up to the Adelaide Oval, inspired him to play that knock.
He has also played critical match-winning knocks against them in multi-nation events. So there is history. Kohli though metamorphoses from aggressor to diplomat smoothly while talking about THAT clash in Birmingham.
"For people watching in the stadium, the game is different as is the atmosphere around the ground. But if you ask players from both sides, it is like any other game. There is no need to motivate players any differently. If you're playing for India, there is no need for any separate motivation. Yes, you need to be passionate, but there is no need to get emotional," he said.