If there is one individual who is a role model for almost every individual, it has to be Viral Kohli. Virat has today captured the imagination of the entire country. He has already achieved a lot but still has many more years left. This month's issue, we look at what makes Virat truly “Vira” (huge) in the game that entire nation follows.
The Rise:
Virat today has the entire nation's following, is warmly adored by his fans while oppositions truly fear him. His rise from a humble background to a cricketing superstar has not been less than an inspiration. From the struggling days in junior cricket to making a mark in the national cricket team and later becoming the captain, is no easy task and his entire journey has been before us.
Kohli's love for cricket was visible from very early age when, as a three-year old kid, he would pick up a cricket bat, start swinging it and ask his father to bowl at him. Kohli's father took Kohli to a professional cricket academy after neighbours suggested that “Virat shouldn't waste his time in gully cricket and instead join a professional club". Kohli trained at the academy under Rajkumar Sharma, whom he still holds in very high regards. The coach found Kohli oozing with talent from very early age but very difficult to be kept quiet. He was a natural in whatever he did but what was most impressed was his attitude. He was ready to bat at any spot, and had to literally push home after the training sessions. He just wouldn’t leave the grounds. Regarding his early life, Kohli has said in an interview, "I've seen a lot in life. Losing my father at a young age, the family business not doing too well, staying in a rented place. There were tough times for the family... It's all embedded in my memory."
Kohli represented the city's cricket team at various age-group levels before making his first-class debut in 2006. He captained India Under-19s to victory at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, and a few months later, made his ODI debut for India against Sri Lanka at the age of 19. Initially having played as a reserve batsman in the Indian team, he soon established himself as a regular in the ODI middle-order and was part of the squad that won the 2011 World Cup. Kohli was appointed the vice-captain of the ODI team in 2012 and handed over the Test captaincy following Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Test retirement in 2014. In early 2017, he became the limited-overs captain as well after Dhoni stepped down from the position. Today, he captain's Indian cricket team across all formats of the game.
There is one incident to recall which shows Virat's mental fortitude and commitment to the game. During Virat's debut Ranji season with Delhi in December 2006, Virat got a call at 3 am informing him of his father's death. There was a match in progress against Karnataka. After initial double mindedness to play or not, Virat went on to play a match saving knock for his team, only after which he went to his father's funeral. Virat was only 18 at that time and everyone, including Karnataka's players applauding him for his commitment and mental strength. On this incident, his mom’s says “Virat changed a bit after that day. Overnight he became a much more matured person. He took every match seriously. He hated being on the bench. It’s as if his life hinged totally on cricket after that day. Now, he looked like he was chasing his father’s dream which was his own too.” In words of Kohli, "my father was my biggest support. He was the one who drove me to practice every day. I miss his presence sometimes.”
The Records:
The initial years of international cricket was not as impressive for Kohli. However, he has evolved greatly, having learnt from his mistakes and today has many records to his name. In ODIs, Kohli holds the world record for the fastest batsman to 10,000 runs in 205 innings. Kohli has the second highest number of centuries and the highest number of centuries in run-chases. He holds numerous Indian batting records including the fastest ODI century, the fastest batsman to 5,000 ODI runs and the fastest to 10 ODI centuries. Among the T20I world records, he is the fastest batsman to 1,000 and 2,000 runs, has most runs in a calendar year and most fifties in the format. He also holds the records of most runs in a single tournament of both the World Twenty20 and the IPL. He is the only batsman in history to average over 50 in Tests, ODIs and T20Is simultaneously. On 27 October 2018, he became the first batsman for India, and tenth overall, to score three successive centuries in ODIs.
Kohli has been the recipient of many awards in the cricketing world, which do not require mention here. Apart from that, was awarded the Arjuna Award in 2013, the Padma Shri under the sports category in 2017 and the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, the highest sporting honour in India, in 2018.
Alongside his cricket career, Kohli co-owns franchises in sports like tennis & football, has other business ventures and over 20 brand endorsements. Kohli is ranked as one of the world's most famous athletes by ESPN. and one of the most valuable athlete brands by Forbes. In 2018, Time magazine named Kohli one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kohli also runs a charity foundation called Virat Kohli Foundation (VKF) aimed at helping underprivileged kids and conducts events to raise funds for the charity.
Kohli today stands tall in terms of the commitment to the game, the attitude to never say no and the confidence in his own abilities. His intensity in every moment of the game and the hunger to get involved and be in control of the situation is truly infectious. He truly represents a new India and is a true role model for every Indian.
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