Virat’s self-belief is very strong: Dhawan

Having
endured
a
prolonged
batting
slump,
Kohli
roared
back
to
form
in
the
ongoing
T20
World
Cup
with
three
explosive
half-centuries,
the
highlight
being
his
astonishing
knock
against
arch-rivals
Pakistan
in
India’s
tournament
opener
at
a
packed
MCG.

“Virat
Kohli
is
doing
very
well
in
this
tournament,
so
many
congratulations
to
him.
I
wish
him
a
very
happy
birthday,
from
the
depth
of
my
heart.
India
is
peaking
at
the
right
time
and
I
am
rooting
for
them,”
Dhawan
said
at
the
India
Today
Conclave
on
Saturday.

“Virat’s
self-belief
is
very
strong,
his
mindset
is
very
positive
when
you
talk
to
him
and
it’s
all
about
how
you
talk
to
yourself.
You
can
be
your
best
friend
or
your
own
victim,
that
is
totally
dependent
on
you.

“He
is
quite
disciplined
as
well,
he
ate
everything
and
became
quite
fat
and
he
changed
all
of
that
with
his
will
power.
This
mixed
with
his
skill
and
got
him
success.”

Asked
about
the
former
India
captain’s
knock
against
Pakistan,
Dhawan
said
that
for
a
cricketer
like
Kohli,
it
was
more
important
to
follow
the
process
rather
than
paying
heed
to
the
critics.

Speaking
about
Kohli’s
process,
Dhawan
said
that
he
had
to
dig
deep
to
get
out
of
his
slump,
which
is
generally
true
for
all
cricketers.

“When
someone
does
not
perform,
you
go
through
stress.
You
dig
deeper
and
go
through
self-reflection.
Every
phase
in
life
teaches
you
something
and
it
is
about
the
journey
and
not
the
destination.
Once
the
individual
realises
that
it
is
about
the
journey,
it
is
more
fun,”
Dhawan
said.

When
asked
if
there
is
something
special
about
Delhi
players,
Dhawan
said
that
their
bold
attitude
on
the
field
makes
them
stand
out.
“For
the
players
from
Delhi
belt,
that
have
the
strength
and
boldness
to
perform,
that
is
why
Delhi
players
are
special,”
Dhawan
said.

“Fans
believe
in
the
end
result
and
their
emotions
are
moulded
by
the
end
result,
but
cricketers
do
not
think
that
way.
They
have
their
process,
they
believe
in
it
and
that
is
where
the
difference
lies.

“As
a
sportsman,
you
have
to
have
the
strength
and
will
power
to
shield
yourself
from
the
negative
comments.
If
you
start
getting
affected
by
it,
your
positivity
goes
away,”
Dhawan
said.