If a youngster can come up to me and share his problems or share his experiences or share something that he does off cricket, that can obviously help you build a better relation with one-on-one, and that can help you captain him on the cricket field.

I think you need to be a leader, not a captain. You may have seen a lot of captains in this country, but the most important thing is to be a leader.

I believe in backing players and helping them out with their game.

I think only a batsman will be able to tell you about the goose bumps he gets after hitting a perfect cover drive. I'm one of them.

I can bat in the morning, afternoon, evening, night, on ice, desert, wherever and whenever. It is almost nirvana for me. It takes me away from the stresses of life.

It used to hurt me that people thought I didn't have the technique and the temperament to play Test cricket.

The face of the team are the people who're playing on the cricket field. The team is not about one individual.

I've always maintained that the problem in India is that we only give credit to big contributions.

When I'm playing a team sport, it's not about one individual, it's about everyone, from me to the other 23 people who were there, to all the support staff who've worked very hard behind the scenes.

I think the only time I show my emotions and anger is on the cricket field; otherwise, I've mellowed down. And with age, I think, with age you always end up mellowing down.

I think a captain is someone who captains on the cricket field but, most of the leadership that happens is off the cricket field. It's very easy to captain people on the cricket field, but if you can start leading them off the cricket field, and show them that trust, what you have in them.

I am a great believer that a captain is as good as his team.

I am a very strong believer in one thing. The more physically fit you are, the more mentally fit you get.

I have been brought up watching the 'Rocky' series and 'First Blood' series. I am obviously a big fan of Sylvester Stallone.

T20 runs should only be a criteria to get selected for a T20 side. The moment you start picking players in the one-day format by their T20 performance, then you are giving your domestic 50-over competitions absolutely no relevance.

When I go on to the field, it is also like my office. I have to give my 100 per cent, and I have to be really committed to it. It's all about winning.

There should be no cricket and Bollywood ties with Pakistan till Pakistan stops cross-border terrorism.

I don't enjoy cricket. I just take it as a priority... something that I have to do.

Irrespective of whether Anil Kumble is the coach or Ravi Shastri, what's more important is that India wins.

When I play for Delhi in Ranji Trophy, I try to help Delhi win, and when I play IPL for KKR, I aim to make KKR win.

I've always wanted to do something for the defence forces - I've always said that the Army always has been my first love. It's about what they do selflessly for the country.

Any quality player can adjust well to the different demands. It is like a good tennis player who is expected to adjust to the clay at the French Open, the grass at Wimbledon, the hard courts of the U.S. and the heat of the Australian Open. A professional is expected to do all that.

When you come out of your comfort zone, you can express yourself in front of the whole world, and there was no better stage to express yourself as a batsman and as a leader than IPL.

I am an intense person on the field. I always want to win, as it matters to me a lot. That's why I never like to lose the focus or intensity.