Virat Kohli opens up on negative side of fan obsession: 'I’ve seen the same thing happen with MS'

Virat Kohli is used to walking out to a deafening roar from the crowd every time he walks out to bat. On Sunday, however, the batting superstar opened up on the negative side of such a reception and how it can affect his teammate dismissed before his arrival.

In his post-match comments after starring in India's nervy four-wicket victory over New Zealand at Vadodara’s Kotambi Stadium, Kohli revealed how legendary wicketkeeper-batter MS Dhoni had experienced something similar throughout his career and why spectators need to be more considerate towards other players even if they have the best of intentions in their hearts.

“I’m aware of it, and honestly, I don’t feel good about it. I’ve seen the same thing happen with MS as well. It’s not a great feeling for the guy walking back. I understand the crowd’s excitement, but I try to focus on what I need to do and not think too much about it,” Kohli said during the post-match presentation ceremony, where he accepted the Player of the Match award for his knock of 93 off 91 balls.

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Kohli remains thankful to fans for their unwavering support

At the same time, the former India captain remained thankful of his fans for showering him with love in the twilight of his career, with Kohli having already quit Tests and T20Is and currently focusing on ODIs and the Indian Premier League, besides the occasional domestic appearance.

“I’m extremely grateful. It’s a blessing, honestly. To give so much happiness to so many people just by doing what you love - playing the sport you’ve loved since childhood - what more can I ask for? I’m living my dream, and seeing people smile makes me happy,” he added.

The first of three ODIs witnessed the Men in Blue chase down the 301-run target set by the Black Caps with an over to spare. Kohli laid the foundation for the successful chase with his sparkling knock, during which he became only the third batter to score 28,000 international runs and also went past Kumar Sangakkara to become the second highest run-scorer of all time.

Also Read | Kohli plays down joining 28K-club, narrowly missing out on century against NZ: ‘Not thinking about milestones'

The 35-year-old, however, missed out on his 54th ODI century by a whisker, getting dismissed by pacer Kyle Jamieson in the 40th over that sparked a mini-collapse and threatened to derail India’s chase before Harshit Rana (29) and KL Rahul (29 not out) came to their rescue with handy cameos.

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