Virat 'stays away' from social media, Sarfraz 'thanks' it

Virat Kohli has nearly 16 million followers on micro-blogging site 'Twitter' but the Indian captain considers it as a distraction before a big match like ICC Champions Trophy final against Pakistan on Sunday.

His counterpart Sarfraz Ahmed, however, is "indebted to millions on social media" for supporting the team throughout.

Kohli does not want his side to be "over excited" before the summit showdown while Sarfraz admitted that his team is "excited and motivated to perform well". In a nutshell, the two captains were like chalk and cheese before their biggest match as captains of their respective nations. When the question was popped up to Kohli at the pre-final media conference as to what are the things he would like to prioritise, his reply was crystal clear. "The biggest thing is to stay off social media. Honestly, it sounds funny, but it's so important to stay away from those things, to connect to things that matter, the things that a sportsman needs to take care of," Kohli said.

When Sarfraz was asked that same question, the Pakistan captain's answer was diametrically opposite.

"I would like to thank all the Pakistani fans on social media for the tremendous support that they have been providing us throughout the tournament. They have showed faith in us and we would like them to support us during the final too," the soft-spoken Pakistan skipper said in a hurried tone. The aim is to "stay in a good zone" which requires one to spend quality time with himself rather than social media,

feels Kohli.

"You know, connecting to yourselves within, taking a bit more time to do stuff which you don't normally get to do and stay away from everything. To be happy playing second fiddle in a big tournament like this throughout all the games, to be thinking about bouncing back after a setback. And that can only happen when you're able to connect with yourself first," said Kohli. revealing his personal 'checklist' before a big game.

For Kohli, a connect with outside world means that the focus has wavered from the goal due to external factors.

"If you are too distracted listening to too many suggestions or players or criticism, then you cannot focus on what you need to think as a sportsman first to be able to lead the team and then help the others in the team, as well. Yeah, that's probably been the biggest learning. To be able to maintain that balance nicely has been a good thing for me," said Kohli, making his point of

view clear.