At BCCI’s glittering awards night in Bangalore on Wednesday night, Indian skipper Virat Kohli was named the International Cricketer of the Year.
After receiving his trophy from former wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer, Virat was asked to share his thoughts on the stand-out year he had.
This is what he said:
"It is been quite unbelievable in the last 10 to 12 months. As cricketers you always have a breakthrough year for everyone. Starting late 2015 to the end of 2016, probably I could term is as the breakthrough year in my career. All the hard work, all the training on a daily basis, all the sacrifices, came together nicely. It could not have been possible without the help of the teammates throughout."
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Drawing focus on the time his aggression and antics on the field earned him heavy criticism, Virat said he realised soon in his career that if he himself put his best into the sport, he was answerable to no one.
"I always wanted to be one of the top players in the world for sure. So I understood what it would take for me to maintain my form in all three formats. It is very important in transition phase to be available in all three formats and take the country forward," Kohli said.
"I always believed in my heart that if I work 120 per cent everyday in my life I am answerable to no one," were the skipper’s firm words.
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