Batting superstar Virat Kohli admitted that the aggressive Australian cricketing environment tested his resilience, but felt that standing up to it while playing a bold brand of cricket toughened his mind and shaped his career path, besides influencing his growth as an individual.
Kohli first toured Down Under in 2011 and faced a hostile reception from the Australian crowd but he reckoned that the aggression gradually transformed into respect.
“Growing up, watching cricket as a kid when we used wake up early and watch Test cricket in Australia, you can see the ball flying off the pitch and the opposition in your face, and I used to feel, ‘Wow, if I will able to step up in these conditions and against this opposition, that’s something I could be proud of as a cricketer.’ That’s the motivation for me to watch all the greats of our game from either side. Guys like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, even Virender Sehwag, guys whom I really looked up to,” Kohli told Fox Cricket ahead of the first ODI in Perth on Sunday.
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“Even the Australian set-up, how they played their cricket and how they were in your face all the time, intimidating and taking the game on, that was something that really inspired me to come here and do the same. Early on, I found it was easier to watch on television than be part of that hostile environment, but I am really grateful to all those times because that shaped me as a cricketer and as a person as well.
“That really tests your mental strength and resilience because once you start copping it from the crowd, you can’t escape, you’ve got to come back every day,” added Kohli, who got out for a duck on his return to India colours after more than seven months.
Kohli remembered the chats he had with former England skipper Kevin Pietersen, with whom he shared the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) dressing room during the Indian Premier League (IPL), which helped him prepare for the Australian brand of cricket.
“I didn’t understand it initially, to be honest. But guys like Keven Pietersen, who copped it before, told me something about Australia that you feel like they are at you the whole time, but at the back of their minds and hearts they really appreciate that you are standing up and playing that kind of cricket,” Kohli said.
“So, don’t take it personally, don’t take it to heart. You just go out there and play competitive cricket. You will realise how good you are as a cricketer, and you will realise over a long period of time how it really shapes up and makes up mentally as a player. I have nothing but gratitude for those experiences as a player. The crowd being at me really brought out the best in me.”
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Kohli said that under those trying circumstances, he had no option other than giving his ‘120 per cent’.
“I had no option but to be 120 per cent. There was no chance I wasn’t gonna perform in this country, in these hostile conditions. So, I really had a good time here as a cricketer. Off the field, honestly, people have been so relaxed and so respectful. When I haven’t been competing, and you walk on the street and they see you, you can see that genuine smile on their face. So, I really enjoyed my time here [Australia].”
Kohli, who has retired from T20I and Test cricket, and only plays ODIs now, said Australia has been a happy touring place for him.
“It is always lovely to be back in Australia, a place where I have really enjoyed my cricket. Played some hard-fought cricket over so many years, so many battles, eventually, what I have realised through the course of the whole journey is that if you play your cricket competitively and hard enough, and even if you are in the face of the opposition, you gain their respect after a certain point of time. That’s the experience of coming here and playing in this country.
“I had some good memories at this stadium. In general, I love coming to Perth, a really nice place, really relaxed, something that I really enjoy. Beautiful wickets to bat, the pace and bounce which I always enjoy,” he said.
Published on Oct 19, 2025
