Quote of the day by Virat Kohli: 'Something higher was guiding me'

Tomorrow, India take on arch rivals Pakistan in their second clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Before the rivals lock horns again, it is impossible not to revisit that unforgettable night at the

“I was going through what I was going through, then I came back in the Asia Cup and I was playing well and I felt like 'Wow I’m ready to play in this World Cup’.

At the 10th over mark, we were 31 for 4 and I had just ran Axar out. I was 12 off 25 balls, or something. I remember in the break, Rahul bhai came to me and I don’t remember what he said. I swear and I even told him this as well. I told him, 'I have no idea what you told me in that break because I was zoned out’,” said Kohli. “My mind was spinning so fast…I was like this is worse than it was before. I had spiralled down so far down that there is no comeback from here and that was my honest feeling at the halfway mark. "That is when my instinct took over. So, when I stopped thinking and planning, whatever God-given talent I have that came to the surface and then I felt like something higher was guiding me. I can’t claim any of that. I was trying to do it before as well but it wasn’t working. The lesson for me was stop using your mind so much because it actually pushes you away from real magic. What happened that night, I can never explain it and it won’t happen ever again,” Kohli added.

From surviving nine overs without a boundary to taking on Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Nawaz, Kohli turned a near-certain defeat into a famous win. As India prepare to meet Pakistan again, that innings remains a reminder of what belief and instinct can produce on the biggest stage.