India skipper Virat Kohli says he has learnt to deal with aspirations of a cricket-mad country but making right decisions consistently on a cricket field is a gradual process.
Ready to lead India as captain in an ODI World Cup for the first time, a billion people want their skipper to score a hundred every time he walks out to bat.
Kohli has had the distinction of scoring centuries in India’s opening games in the 2011 (vs Bangladesh) and the 2015 (vs Pakistan) editions.
Ask him if he could complete coveted hat-trick against South Africa in India's World cup opener on Wednesday, Kohli said dealing with such expectations is now part and parcel of his life.
"Look, when you perform and you perform for a long time, expectations are always there and I sort of understood how to go along with the expectations. You don't go out there to prove anything to anyone, which is a fact, but you have to accept that expectations are going to be there," Kohli said ahead of India's opening game.
Just like Sunil Gavaskar or Sachin Tendulkar, who devised their own mechanism to deal with insane demands, Kohli has also embraced it in his own little way.
"When I walk out to bat, come down the stairs, people will say we need a hundred and all those kind of things will happen. For me, that's just a part of the process now.
"It's not something that I don't want to hear, or something that I think people should not tell me because when you do well, people obviously want to see you do well again and again because they want to see the team win."
He didn't speak about the kind of legacy he would like to leave behind but believes that his progress in a leadership role has been a gradual one.
"The errors you would make when you are not that aware of game situations. They will slowly start to taper off as you play more and more cricket. So I think what happens also is when you have experienced people in your team who have also grown with you as cricketers, eventually you all start making good decisions."
Owning up mistakes and taking corrective measures is something that he has learnt gradually.
"No one can make all good decisions or right decisions all the time, so important is to try and make the right decision, but own up to your mistakes and accept the errors as well, which I think with time everyone sort of understands that process well, which also is happening to me slowly," he said.
There are usual butterflies before any big event but he doesn't feel anything different on a day before India's World Cup campaign sets rolling.
"Honestly, for me, I have this feeling before every game that I play honestly and I can't differentiate. Yes, if you just say the word 'World Cup', it brings a different kind of feeling to your mind and heart.
"In 2011 or 2015, I had similar kind of butterflies in my stomach. Even when you walk into play in a Test match and you walk in at 10-2 you have the same butterflies in the stomach, so that is a very consistent factor. When that starts going down, you know what comes next (indicating about retirement).
"I'm glad it is going on and I'm feeling excited, anticipation and a bit of nerves as well which is always good for any sportsman to have, so it's pretty similar to the past.
Squad Talk
While chances of Bhuvneshwar Kumar's inclusion in the playing XI on Wednesday look brighter by the minute, Kohli gave an open-ended reply to the various questions on possible team combinations.
There are indictions that Mohammed Shami may make the way for Bhuvneshwar but there are not any confirmation with regards to that. In that case, Vijay Shankar will pip Kedar Jadhav to share the third seamer's duties with Hardik Pandya.
"We know it is a different situation in England when there is a cloud cover and when there is sun out. With two new balls, if the pitch has something to offer, then an extra seamer comes into the play big time. But even on a good pitch, on a batting-friendly pitch with two new balls, I foresee the first 10 overs to be challenging if there is cloud cover," Kohli said, dropping a broad hint on Bhuvneshwar's possible inclusion.
While Bhuvneshwar is a capable batsman but seamer-friendly conditions may prompt India to drop a spinner in case a fully fit Jadhav is included.
"I think it will definitely be challenging, starting at 10.30 am in the morning for the batsmen and that is something that we have discussed and we have recognized how to go about it, what are the plans heading into being a bit more solid in that particular phase," said the skipper without divulging much.
"And from the bowling point of view as well, even if you play with two spinners, two seamers or three seamers, they are going to be in the game in the first half if you start at 10.30 am. The dynamics will change from morning to afternoon big time and the bowlers will have to adapt very quickly to that," he said.
Jadhav's all-round abilities always keeps him in the mix, insisted Kohli.
"Kedar is batting in the nets now and he is hitting the ball well, so it is always nice to have him back in the mix because of the variety he brings into the side. Looking at the pitch, we will have discussions over what the balanced combination will be, but I think we are equipped to handle all kinds of conditions here," Kohli signed off.
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