Former India assistant coach Abhishek Nayar opened up on a heart-to-heart conversation with Virat Kohli and his self-belief. He revealed how the batting sensation politely refused to take his advice and later showed his true potential by winning the match.
Speaking on JioStar’s Googlies, ahead of the ODI series against England, Nayar discussed the thought process of the Indian batting star and why he continues to be one of the best players with a consistent game.

“Virat Kohli has self-belief. He has faith in himself.

He knows what he does. When I speak with him, he tells me his own game. Sometimes I tell him what I think is right. But he politely refuses,” Nayar said. “I was thinking if this is what the best batters in the world do, then why shouldn’t Kohli do the same?”

‘I’ll Do It My Way’: The Kohli Mindset That Defines Greatness

Abhishek Nayar recalls India’s ODI tour of Australia, when Kohli had faced two consecutive ducks in a poor patch. Just out of the Indian team setup, he kept in touch with the batting great. “I knew Virat for a very long time. But one thing I realized was that Virat Kohli is the way he is because of his belief systems.

That’s what makes him stand out,” he said.

“During the ODIs in Australia, when he was going through that phase and scored two ducks in a row, I had just left the team. So, I called him up and inquired if he was alright and wanted to have a chat. To which he said there was nothing wrong; it’s all part of the game.”
Nayar tried to console Kohli, who chose “to follow his own instincts” and soon bounced back in style.

“I told him I had some insight about how he should deal with it. He said, ‘No, no, no, I will do it my way.’ I laughed and said fine.

He went on to bat in the next match and said,’I did it my way’! That, for me, was the best way of dealing with the situations that Kohli was a part of.” That, according to Nayar, was the hallmark of Kohli’s genius.

“That is the sign of a great player. They will know how to deal with things on their own because they have done it multiple times at the top level. We can sit and imagine and guess and wonder, but the real test is when you are there and you have done it.”

Nayar then talks about Kohli’s India limited-overs captain, Rohit Sharma.
“They say that’s what makes these two such brilliant players.

So, no surprise that I have so much respect for them.”

Abhishek Nayar calls for patience with teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who struggled through a T20I series.

“Most importantly, it’s about having the chat first. As a young player, you are in a state of mind where, a few games ago, everyone was talking to you about how good you are as a batter. Everything has turned on its head.” Nayar says coaches should be sympathetic to the situation.

“The support staff’s response to Sooryavanshi has to be tempered, first and foremost, understanding his state of mind.

Perhaps even not batting- discussions before any batting- discussions; but about life and international cricket,” he said.

Sooryavanshi should be encouraged to view the situation as a learning opportunity rather than a crisis, said Nayar.

“Rather than the youngster seeing it as a problem, he must be made out to see this as a tactical opportunity. You can’t tell someone what to do; you have to have a dialogue with them. So, if you can have a conversation with Sooryavanshi, asking him how he feels about what he did and what he thought he needed to do, that’s how you get the best out of him in the future.