India captain Virat Kohli finds nets “claustrophobic” and instead prefers to practise on a centre-wicket with fielders around as it provides him with match simulation.

Kohli gave his opinion during a chat with West Indies legend Vivian Richards, the video of which was posted on BCCI.tv. “I felt like this many times where the pitches are fast and bouncy, or even in the nets when you are playing, I am sure you wouldn’t go to the practice just randomly practising,” Kohli said, seeking the opinion of Richards on his approach to net practice.

“You would go with the intent, with the purpose that I’m going to stand up against my own bowlers and not get out, not even hit a ball on the edge, hit everything from the middle of the bat.”

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Richards, who, like Kohli, has dominated bowlers of his time, replied: “It is the same thinking, you go and try to eliminate may be the getting out process, but I have always found nets to be claustrophobic for me and I never felt comfortable.”

The Indian skipper responded saying: “I think exactly the same things about net practice how it can be claustrophobic and I prefer having a centre-wicket net which is open against our bowlers with fielders so that I have a match simulation.”

Value of visualisation

In the second episode of a two-part interaction, Kohli also stressed on visualisation, which has played a big role in his success against Australia in 2014-2015. “After 2014, I went to England and I had a very bad tour but the next one was Australia which was even more hostile and tough so the thing that helped me was visualisation,” he said.

“Three months before going to Australia I started visualising that I was taking these bowlers on and I am going to dominate and I’m going to come on top and that for me was a revelation because I had so much belief because of putting that thought in my head.”