Virat Kohli draws cricket-tennis parallel; netizens quip: ‘Wimbledon is his new Edgbaston'
He joined the All England Lawn Tennis Club on Day 8 of the Championships to witness the Round of 16 clash between Novak Djokovic and Alex de Minaur on Monday, July 7.
'Cricket carries a lot of pressure due to the large crowds in the stadium. However, I'd say it's not as overwhelming as being on Centre Court because of the distance between you and the spectators. When we bat, the fans are far away, so you can focus on your own game and block out distractions. You don't hear the cheers or boos directly in your ears, except when you're fielding at the boundary. Even then, there's less pressure on your individual performance to succeed or fail," Kohli told Star Sports.
He added, 'In tennis, everything is at stake, and a single point can change everything. The pressure players experience, especially on Centre Court, is immense. I have a great deal of respect for tennis players for that reason keeping their composure, staying fit, and demonstrating such mental strength is truly impressive.'
One of the users said, 'Guess Wimbledon's the new Edgbaston for Virat—same grass, different game, but still no escaping the spotlight.' Another remarked, 'He is not looking happy at all. His body is there but mind stuck in Edgbaston.' 'We miss you. Come back to Test cricket @imVkohli And schedule more ODI series @BCCI,' reacted an internet user.
'I've been in touch with Novak for a while now. We've been exchanging messages, he's been very gracious and kind to stay in touch. So, I would say I want Novak and Carlos to be in the finals and probably want Novak to win this one, so that will be a tremendous thing for him at the stage of career that he is. He is in the conversation for being the greatest of all time, right up there with anyone else, if not the number one, maximum number of grand slams. So, he deserves it. I feel with the amount of hard work he's put in, I really wish he plays Carlos in the finals and he wins,' he stated.
Kohli further recalled, "It's great being here again. Me and Anushka came here in 2015, that was our first experience of being here at the wonderful Centre court and just to experience what Wimbledon truly is. It was very, very special. We always planned on coming back, could not make it happen for various reasons. Now we have bit of time in our hand and here we are again."
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