Kohli has ‘never been to NCA’: Rohit talks about former captain’s ‘hunger’ | Cricket

In conversation with veteran cricketer Dinesh Karthik during India’s Test series against England, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma issued a noteworthy statement about his teammate Virat Kohli. Two of the finest batters in the modern era, Kohli and Rohit, have been the standout formers for the Men In Blue across formats. After guiding India to the final of the 50-over World Cup in 2023, the batting mavericks made their respective returns to the shortest format in the T20 World Cup year.

Unavailable in the first two Tests against England for personal reasons, Kohli was praised for his work ethic by his teammate Rohit. The Indian skipper said that he had never seen Kohli visiting the National Cricket Academy (NCA) for rehabilitation following an injury. Reserving high praise for his teammate, the veteran Indian opener asserted that he also wants youngsters to take inspiration from Kohli.

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‘Virat Kohli has never been to NCA’

“Virat Kohli has never been to NCA in his entire career. I would say that all the younger players should look up to the passion that he has. Leave alone how he plays the cover drive, flick, cut but first things first you have to understand what is the quality of the players that makes him where he is today,” Rohit told Karthik on JioCinema.

Kohli last played for India in the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The 35-year-old arrived in Hyderabad for the first Test against England last week. However, Kohli did not attend India’s optional training session on Monday before the batting icon opted to pull out of the first two Tests against England. Following Kohli’s brief exit, India added premier batter Rajat Patidar to its squad for the first two Tests of the series.

‘I have watched Kohli enough’

“I have watched Kohli enough. He can easily be satisfied with what he has achieved. He can say that I will take it easy in these 2-3 series, I will come later, but he is always there for the team. That mindset of being hungry and not complacent cannot be taught. You have to learn that from by looking at the others. It has to come from within. I cannot teach you that,” Rohit added.

Earlier, Kohli discussed his decision to skip the first two Tests with captain Rohit and the management of the Indian side. Extending support to Kohli, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also urged the fans and media to refrain from speculating about Kohli’s exit. The former India skipper is expected to rejoin the Indian squad for the 3rd Test against England.

‘You have to stay hungry all the time’

“That is the first thing that I would say rather than looking at Virat Kohli or others technically. You have to stay hungry all the time, bring the passion and the pride to everything, being out there in the sun, playing for the team and getting the job done. This is what I want to the guys to have first,” the Indian skipper concluded.