Before India’s inaugural T20 World Cup match, former captain Virat Kohli talked about his experience performing the National Anthem in front of a full crowd. In the group stage of this T20 World Cup, India will play Canada on June 15, the United States on June 12, Ireland on June 5, Pakistan on June 9, and the United States on June 15.
NEW DELHI: For any athlete, representing their nation in an international competition is the pinnacle of honor. There are no words to express the sensation you get as the National Anthem is sung by the raucous stadium crowd.
Star batter and former captain Virat Kohli talked about his experience singing the National Anthem in a full stadium before their debut T20 World Cup match against Ireland.
at a video posted on X, the official broadcaster features Kohli on how the 2011 ODI World Cup was his first experience hearing the National Anthem performed at a stadium.
According to Kohli, “I have never felt such a sense of unity, united energy in one place before, and the 2011 World Cup was for me the first exposure to it whenever the National Anthem has been sung, especially in big tournaments.” I had never felt anything like the ferocity of it in my life. The fact that everyone is singing and solely focused on India’s victory gave me goosebumps all over.”
In front of a heartbroken full house at the largest cricket stadium in the world, Ahmedabad, India advanced to the home final of the ODI World Cup last year but was defeated by Australia.
At that point, nobody is thinking of anything else. And that energy is so strong that you can feel the energy of the audience if you are tuned in and participating in it. As you sing the National Anthem, you can literally sense their anxiety, enthusiasm, and emotions,” says Kohli.
In this IPL season, Kohli led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batting order with 741 runs.
“2016 T20 World Cup vs Australia at Eden Gardens, Mohali, India once more. Although I have participated in the National Anthem numerous times, Kohli notes that these few experiences stand out in my memory because of the intensity with which it was performed in the stadium.
During their celebratory lap around the field in 2011, a young Virat Kohli lifted cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders, marking India’s final World Cup triumph.
“It’s a very special thing when you feel the force of so many people behind you, pushing you towards winning the game for your team,” Kohli says.
In this T20 World Cup India face Ireland (June 5), Pakistan (June 9), United States (June 12) and Canada (June 15) in the group phase of the tournament.
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