"I have seen him play since I was a child. He is not just a great tennis player but a great man as well," he added. Kohli, who has scored 20 centuries over the past 18 months in all forms of the game, asserted that he prefers to focus on the team's success rather than personal milestones.

"If you are only focussed on what the team wants and you are obsessed about winning a game cricket for your country, those special performances happen," Kohli remarked. "I don't necessarily go out there thinking today I am going to get the three-figure mark. That thought never crosses my mind. The only feeling I have in my heart is that India needs to cross the line and if I am the guy who is in that position to be able to do that for the team I'l keep going on," he added.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

"I play the game because of the joy that I have when I play on the field and purely (for) the love of the game. The passion that I have of playing for my country. If I get attached to stats, that means my graph's going down and there is something wrong in my head. I personally cannot play in that way." Kohli also asserted that he has changed his entire lifestyle and diet over the past few years in his quest for cricketing success.

"I have changed my entire lifestyle over the past four years in terms of my diet, sleep patterns, just planning the whole week out. I do't believe in taking anything for granted," the Delhi batsman said. "I want to be able to do what I do to the best of my abilities. I want to do it with quality till the time I play this game," he added.

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever