Virat Kohli

We know Virat Kohli as a world cup winning under-19 captain, an agile fielder and a consistent batsman who could occasionally chip in with the ball, when required. We are all amazed by the consistency and commitment levels of Kohli the youngster. But for his closest circle, it wouldn’t have come as a surprise that he peaked the last years run scorer’s list last year. He had exposed to them, the fight he had within himself when he was 18, when he came back to bat after he lost his father, to save his Ranji team.

The rookie was then batting for Delhi. He had scored 40 against their rival Karnataka when it was stumps the previous day. Not many believed he would take up the field the next day for, his father, Prem Kohli, had left this World by 3.00 early in the morning. Given that this was the last recognized batting pair and there was a follow on being imposed on Delhi, the team management’s worries weren’t completely indecipherable.

But there he was, the next day expressing his fervor to bat and save his team. It took many in the dressing room by surprise when they looked at his commitment at such a young age. The management kept telling him that his home needed him more desperately but those words had little impact on  a focused Kohli. (The blokes’ interest to play Ranji trophy games today, are apparent and have become a different scenario with the invention of the IPL!)

“Come on, stay at the crease”, he kept telling more to himself than to his partner Puneet Bisht. He walked out of the ground after being dismissed on 90 leaving the rivals wondering what they exactly have to do, celebrate the fall of his wicket or applaud his performance. He missed out on a hundred but there were things that were less apparent to the public, he had to stand up to. The match was there to be saved but the fight was from within and it couldn’t have come without!

Mithun Manhas, the then Delhi skipper lavished praised on Kohli’s attitude and commitment to the team.  He had to!  Father’s departure is one of the saddest things that could ever happen to a kid. He came back seeking cricket to overcome his grief. His mind would have been all over the place. But then to stay focused just to ensure that the game was DRAWN (the motivation for an average kid would have been even smaller for such a cause), it takes all mental sorts to win the battle.

Kohli, the 18 year old sapling that stood up against a tornado!

Tags: Batsman, Cricket, Fielder, India, Virat Kohli, World Cup