Does Virat really want to be No.1 again? Shahid Afridi questions Kohli’s attitude

“In cricket, attitude matters the most. That is what I talk about the most. Do you have an attitude towards cricket or not? That Kohli, earlier in his career, wanted to be the No. 1 batsman in the world… is he still playing cricket with the same motivation? That is the big question. He has the class. But does he really even want to be No. 1 again? Or does he think he has achieved everything in life. Now just relax and pass time? It’s all about attitude,” Afridi was quoted as saying on Samaa TV.

“He has the class. But does he really even want to be No. 1 again? Or does he think he has achieved everything in life. Now just relax and pass time? It’s all about attitude.”

Afridi’s comments come on the backdrop of Kohli taking a break from international cricket after IPL 2022 and holidaying with his wife Anushka Sharma in an undisclosed location.

The former India skipper, who also gave up the captaincy at Royal Challengers Bangalore last year, had a poor run with the bat in the IPL. However, Kohli remained adamant that the loss in form has not built any pressure on him.

“I’m actually in the happiest phase of my life. I am not finding any self-worth or value in what I do on the field. I’m way past that phase. This is a phase of evolution for me,” Kohli had told Star Sports during the IPL.

The 33-year-old also refused to believe that the drive is not there.

“… Not to say that I don’t have the same drive, my drive will never die down. The day my drive goes away, I’ll not be playing this game.”