December 18, 2006.
An Eighteen years, 43 days old funky kid returns home from his battlefield, only to know that his best mate, his guiding light, whom- he'd often address as 'papa', had left him... forever. A day which was full of joy, pleasure, euphoria and hope, slowly, started getting covered by the darkness of disbelief, depression, despair, devastation and what not..
Cut to July 20, 2023, the same 18 YO kid has grown to be a man of 34 and today, he's going to achieve something that only a few have been able to..
Yeah, you got it right, that Kid was Virat and his battlefield: cricket ground. And, honestly, did Virat himself think of making his father this proud (on) the day he saw him flying into a world of uncertainty? The answer is Yes and this 'Yes' has made him what he is. The lad substantiated it with a crucial 90, within 24 hours of his father's demise..
So, today, when he is about to feature in his 500th Int'l game, let's dive in and take a look at the journey.. the journey of an irritating kid who rose to rule each and every heart, the journey of a banal who now, inspires generations..
Early life
Born on Nov 5, 1988 to a Punjabi Hindu family consisting of his father (Prem ji Kohli), mother(Saroj Kohli), an elder brother (Vikas Kohli) and an elder sister (Bhavna Kohli), raised in Delhi as the youngest son of a practising criminal lawyer.
A cricket enthusiast since childhood. One evening, when he was barely 21 months old, was standing with a bat in hand, asking his father (Prem ji Kohli) for some throwdowns.. which gave him a pass to the 'West Delhi Cricket Academy' under 'Rajkumar Sharma' on May 30, 1998. He was never good with the studies, yet was always backed by his father to play cricket, keeping academics at secondary priority.
Despite all his merit and passion for the game, he was denied selection in U-14 Delhi team.. due to extraneous factors.. (sources say, INR 1 lac was demanded to secure a place). But, his father refused. He was determined that Kohli should earn his recognition based on his own merit and overcome the system of nepotism and deceit prevalent in the DDCA.
Virat says- this incident instilled the importance of honesty and meritocracy in him and taught him to hate unlawful activities for the rest of his life...
Nonetheless, he was selected in the U-15 Delhi team, on his merit, and started his youth career. Sharma says, Virat exuded remarkable talent, making it arduous for the Coach to curb his enthusiasm. He'd continue practicing for hours and not move until the coach threatened him with a one week suspension for not listening to him. This was his passion for the game..
On Feb 18, 2006, Virat made his debut in List-A cricket against 'Services' in the Ranji One-Day Trophy. He was selected on the back of 2005-06 Vijay Merchant Trophy, scoring 757 from 7 matches, averaging 84.11. This season, he got enough eyes on him to get selected in Senior State team. Subsequently, he made his First-Class debut on Nov 23, 2006. But he failed to score a fifty in the three matches he played. Next game was against Karnataka. Delhi was trailing with 130-5, at the end of day's play, Virat was unbeaten on 40. Same night, at around half past 3 (a.m), his father passed away...but his unwavering attitude in the face of adversity; his crucial knock helped in avoiding follow-on. Attended his father's funeral just after the knock.
Under-19 WC
2006, July. He got selected for the India U-19, on it's tour to England, where he averaged 105 in the three match ODI-Series and also 49 in the same number of tests. And then a number of series followed. Pakistan, NewZeland, Bangladesh, Srilanka and a tri-series in Malaysia. Evantually, he was appointed the captain of the U-19 India Squad in Feb-March 2008, which went up to win the World cup, led by Virat. And, not to forget, the innings of the tournament was also played by him against WI-U19. 100 off 74 deliveries.
"He's a very physical type of player. He likes to impose himself on the game, backs it up with his skill"
~Team India's coach 'Dav Whatmore' at 2008 U-19 WC.
International Career
The Birth
A surprise call up was made for his Int'l tour of Sri Lanka and the CT in Pakistan. So, on Aug 18, 2008, he made his Int'l ODI debut, where he got out on 12. But, eventually scored a half century (54) in the fourth match of the series.
As the Champions trophy was postponed to 2009, comes October 2008, where he played a four day test match against Australia as a part of Indian Board President's XI, facing the stalwarts like Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Jason Kreza and Peter Siddle. The 19YO played a jaw-dropping knock in the first innings, scoring 105 and was unbeaten in 16 in second innings, making a remark to play at the highest level with the same brilliance!
In July-August 2009, he was selected in Emerging-Players Tournament, taking place in Australia where he stood out with 398 runs with an avg of 66+ and eventually, led his team to win the tournament.
Came back in the national side in 2009, December, against SL for a 5-match ODI series, where he scored his maiden Century (Dec 24).
The Rise
Comes Jan 2010, a tri-nation ODI tournament in Bangladesh, he emerges as the leading run scorer of the series with 275 runs from 5 innings with a ridiculous average of 91.67.
Goes on to become the fastest Indian batter to score 1000 ODI runs (26 innings). Also, he was India's leading run scorer in 2010 in ODIs, 995 runs from 25 matches, 3 tons and 7 half centuries. Played SA series, ended up being the highest run scorer and was selected for the World Cup (2011).
Scoring a ton in the very first match against B'desh. And contributing important 35 in the Finals, at Wankhede. And the most remarkable thing, lifting the god on his shoulders and saying- "He's carried the nation for decades, it's time, we carried him!"
Comes December 2011, Team India was touring Australia for a 4-match test series, where the famous (pun) middle-finger incident took place, something that showed me a captain in making for foreign soil (and he rightly proved it later). Not just with action, he was the lone bright spot with the bat too, in a team full of Sachin, Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman...
CB Series: Feb 28, 2012. A set target of 321 by SL. In Hobart, Australia. To chase down in 38 overs in order to have a chance for the finals. India 86/2. Out comes a chubby youngster, smashes 133 off 86, takes down the Prime Malinga all over the parks with beautiful wrists and bottom hand. Takes his team home with 13 overs to spare. Dean Jones rating it as One of the greatest ODI knocks of all time. But, SL defeated AUS later to knock India out. However, Kohli finished as India's highest scorer, 373 at 53.28.
ASIA cup 2012: Kohli was appointed Vice-Captain in the Asia cup in B'desh. March 18, 2012, last group match of the tournament. Against the arch-rivals Pakistan. A target of 330. India 0/1. Out comes the same guy, stitched 133 run partnership with SRT. Smashes 183. Takes India home again. However, India won two matches (both having Kohli as POTM) and couldn't make in the finals.
ICC T20WC 2012: 185, highest run scorer from India, match winning knocks against Pakistan and Afghanistan. Still, India couldn't make into the semi finals.
ICC CT 2013: India won all the group stage games in England and advanced into the SF. At Cardiff, against SL in the SF, he scored unbeaten 58 to take India home. Into the finals against Eng at Birmingham, match was reduced to 20-overs due to rain. On a skiddy pitch, he scored 43 off 34 contributing (top score) to the win.
July, 2013. India's tour to Zimbabwe, he was appointed the captain, making India win 5-0.
Ind vs Aus ODI series: A 7-match ODI series against Aus. Scores 100 off 52, and, 100 off 61 (115 off 66) in two of the matches where India chased 360 and 351. 'The Chase master' they named him, rightly so.
ICC T20WC 2014: Tournament was organized in Bangladesh. He scored 54 off 41 vs WI and 57* off 50 vs BAN, both in successful run chases. SF, against SA. The SA team had SteynGun, Wayne Parnell and Albie Morkel. We were falling apart but the Vice Captain with an outstanding 72 off 44 pulled it back. We advanced to the finals, against SL. Batting first, nothing went right but a guy was fighting alone on a slow skiddy pitch with 77 off 58. Team India: 130. We lost the match, we lost the tournament. But a guy made a record of smashing highest ever runs in a T20 WC (319) with an imperious avg of 106.
– Former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe.
The DipIndia toured
England in 2014. Test series 3-1 in the favor of England. Kohli 134 in 10
innings. Six single digit dismissals. ODI series. 3-1 in
the favor of India. Kohli's avg 18.
"It was a
nightmare. I felt like it's all over. It was pressure and pressure and just
pressure. I didn't feel like being Myself." ~ Kohli.
In the subsequent
ODI series against SL, he was made the captain, whitewashing SL 5-0. Kohli was
Player of the Series.
Achieving
Greatness
India was now
touring Australia at the end of 2014. Kohli was the captain for the first test,
test captain for the first time. 115 in the first innings. 141 in the second.
Yes, India lost by some 48 runs in a batting collapse... But, India saw a
different kind of captaincy. The Kohli's style of captaincy. Positive. Leading
from the front. Aggressive. Belligerent. Giving back in the same language the
opposition understands. Well, his "Even if we're losing, we'll go for the
win" was not just a remark when he played like that in the second innings.
Nonetheless, Dhoni
returned for the second test. India lost, a 4-wkt defeat.
Comes the boxing
day test, Melbourne. Virat made 169 in the first inning. And who can forget that
famous aggressive reply to Johnson. It was followed by a 54 in second innings,
We drew the match. But, Dhoni arbitrarily announced retirement. Making Kohli a full-time
test captain. Made 147 in first innings. Only captain to score 3 centuries in
first 3 innings of his captaincy. The match ended in a draw. 0-2 for India.
But, he made 692 in four tests, most by an Indian in test
series in Australia.
ICC ODI-WC 2015: Match 1. Arch-Rival Pakistan. 107 off 126. Adelaide. India won. POTM.. It was not so great but a decent (by his standards) WC for him. Comes the Semi-final. Australia. A target of 329. India all out for 233. We were out of the WC. Kohli: 1 off 13. This broke the heart of the nation..
In between this and T20 WC 2016, he played some crucial knocks. Notable being the Century vs SA, whole of ODIs and T20Is on Aussie tour, 2016 Asia cup: 49 vs Pak (POTM), 56* vs SL, Match winning 41 NO against B'desh in the finals.
ICC T20WC 2016: Match 1 vs NZ. Chasing 127, India was all-out on 79. Match 2 vs Pak, Chasing 119, we were 23/3. Again, the same savior, 55* off 37. (Famous bow down to the God). Match 3 vs Bangladesh, India defeated them by 1 run (Famous Dhoni's RO). Match 4 vs Aus (Quarter Final). Mohali. India had to chase 161 on a slow deck. We were 94/4 in 14 overs. 67 in 6 required on a pitch which seemed to be slower than snail. No help to the batters. Then comes a Masterclass, Kohli written all over it. 82* off 51. Some unbelievable shorts (Six to long off to Faulkner)... We qualified for the Semi Final. Against WI. Batting first. Wankhede. Batting paradise. Our openers 43(31): Rohit, 40(35): Rahane. We ended up on 192/2, thanks to the man, once again. 89* off 47. But then, we lost. He ended it with 273 in 5 matches, averaging 136. Winning consecutive Man of the tournament and earning captain's place in the ICC's team of the tournament.
This 2016 just started a flurry of runs, that 18 YO funky kid was a superhuman. Scoring 200s in tests for fun, carrying India solely on foreign pitches, winning matches on his own.. Raising the level of fitness, everything! (Except the CT'17). That 973 IPL season. That test series win in Aus. It looked so easy, it felt so great...
ICC ODI-WC 2019: Averaging 56 in this WC, everything was going right. But just it didn't end well.. that SF in 2019. That boult's delivery, hitting pad. umpire's call. Man, I don't want to recall it..
Post Covid:
After that ever-lasting T20 series against WI, we toured NZ in 2020. After that, it was the period of COVID. After the first covid wave , we toured Australia, lost ODI series 1-2. Won T20 series 2-1. And that test series: 36 all out, Boxing day come back, Sydney draw and the Gabba win. Peak cricket.
But what followed was a never foreseen dip in Kohli's form... a phase which was depressing.. for all of us. He seemed out of touch.. everything opposite to our expectations. The 54 avg of test has come down to 48. Lost WTC'21 and a forgettable T20 WC'21. He resigned from captaincy. All formats, one-by-one. Lowest point of career. "Drop him", "He's a liability".. all of these sound from outside.. (Still, a 2-1 win in England in test before resigning).
Then came, Asia cup 2022. A resurgence. No century in almost 3 years, but then one in T20I against Afg.
ICC T20 WC 2022: Match 1 vs Pak. 160 target. Wickets down. And almost finished Kohli (as per outside noise) standing on one end. Took India home. The best ever T20I ever played! India's highest run scorer in that tournament (yes, a finished man did it.)
These events brought back my Kohli, which I always enjoyed, lively on the field, enjoying batting, putting in efforts.. (but, at the cost of his aggression). Hopefully, another peak is awaiting.
500 Matches, 558 innings, 25461 runs, 75 centuries, 131 Half centuries, 53 avg, Test cricket of the Year, ODI player of the year, ODI player of the decade, Player of the decade and what not! Competing with the god, next Sachin..
But, for me, he's beyond numbers. He's beyond comparisons. He's above everything. He's not the next Sachin, but as per his name, he's Virat. The Grandest of all. The Greatest. The best.
And, I know, it's not going to last forever. As every good thing comes to an end, this will also come to a standstill. But yaar Cheeku, I'm not ready for it and perhaps, will never be.. Just keep playing, keep enjoying till you can, keep entertaining. Was always with you, will always be.
With love,
Gyan Prakash.
