As Virat Kohli unleashed his ‘vintage form’ and roared back into the reckoning, we examine his approach to living, learning, growing and changing.
By Nichola Marie
‘Captain’ he may no longer be but ‘Fantastic’? Hell yeah! Virat Kohli, 36, reminded the naysayers why it’s rude to tell players, who still play a mean game, to walk into the sunset. Rolling back the years with his first ODI century since November 2023, Kohli’s exceptional unbeaten 100 — his 51st in ODIs — also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49. What’s more, during the course of his knock, Kohli went past the 14,000-run mark in one-dayers, becoming only the third player — after compatriot Tendulkar and Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara — to reach the figure in this format, taking fewer innings than both. Of course, Kohli’s jaw-dropping performance also guided India to a six-wicket win over Pakistan in a Champions Trophy match – and that’s the only thing that diehard Indian cricket fans seemed to care about!
After his feat fetched him the player-of-thematch award, Kohli expressed, “It feels good to be able to be back in that manner in an important game where we wanted to (effectively) seal our qualification into the semis.” Discussing the points of the win, he added, “It was more or less the way I play ODI cricket. So I was happy with the template.” He also made a mention of having a “decent understanding of my game over the years,” and finally brought on the smiles with his declaration: “To be honest, at 36, it’s very good… I just need to put my feet up for two days. It takes a lot out of me now to be putting that kind of effort on the field, and I’m just thankful we have a bit of time off (before the next match).”
What’s Age Got To Do With It?
Kohli’s teammates say they were not in the least stunned by his well-crafted hundred; such is their confidence and belief in him despite the bleak phases. Rohit Sharma even quipped, “That is what he is known for! People sitting inside the dressing room are not surprised with what he has done.”
His exploits also sent the cricketing world into raptures, with former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting vowing that he has not seen a “better player” than Kohli in ODIs, while also backing the Indian batting star to go past the legendary Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-getter in the 50-over format. At 14,085 runs, Kohli is still 4,341 runs behind Tendulkar who is at 18,426 runs, but with Kohli, you simply never can say never!
As Ponting opines, “With someone like Virat, you never write him off. If the hunger’s still there, then I’m never going to write him off (to overtake Tendulkar).”
Growing Wiser
Like the wag said, “What are kings supposed to do after their coronation? Rule. Win.” Kohli has been working on doing just that over the past few years, despite the tremendous odds, including struggles with poor form, spin bowlers and more. Quoting Ponting again, “Physical-wise, he’s probably as fit as he’s ever been and works exceptionally hard on that side of his game.” Another huge plus: Kohli has been “a champion player for a long, long time. And particularly in the white-ball formats, where he’s been an unbelievably good 50-over player.”
A bigger factor that sees him return to claim his crown is his own increased self-awareness. In an interview in 2023, he opened up about being mostly in denial mode about his “vulnerabilities” and “frustrations” during his tough phase. “In my case, in denial, frustration was creeping in. I was very cranky and very snappy in my space. It was not fair on Anushka (Sharma, wife), my close ones, it’s not fair on the people who support you. So I had to take responsibility and kind of put things in perspective,” he told teammate Suryakumar Yadav in an interview for ‘bcci. tv’.
Recalling the extensive lean period, he said, “I was far off from my cricket. My attachments, my desire, had totally taken over. That’s when I realised that I can’t be away from who I am. I have to be true to myself. Even when I am vulnerable, I am not playing well, I am the worst player around, and I have to accept it. I can’t be in denial.”
Speaking about the disappointment of not living up to expectations, he shared, “When your cricket is going well, all these things flow well but whenever there is a slight dip, in my case, frustration started creeping in because I wanted to play in a certain way but my cricket was not allowing me to play like before.”
Awareness of his own shortcomings also saw him actively work on his own weak areas including his alleged inability to play spin. In fact, even on the eve of the Champions Trophy match against Pakistan, he trained for an extra couple of hours against the local spinners, with India’s batting coaches to help him out.
Hard Work Makes The Dream Work
Known for his staunch work ethic and commitment towards the game which is second to none, Kohli remains an inspiration to every contemporary and young cricketer. In fact, he is also acknowledged as the most hardworking member of the team. In an interview in 2020, India’s thenbatting coach Vikram Rathour spoke about being in awe of the amount of hard work Kohli puts in every single day. “For me, the best thing about Virat Kohli is his commitment to the game. He wants to be the best player in the world and he works hard for that. He puts in the hard yards, and he is the hardest working cricketer that I have seen. Other than that I believe his adaptability is his biggest strength.”
Rathour also stressed on his adaptability. “He is not a onedimensional player, he can change his game as and when required. He plays every format differently and that has been one of his greatest strengths.”
No Glorification, Thank You
The sporting legend himself waves aside any undue praise of his concerted efforts. At an event in 2024, he rejected the notion of him going through struggle and having to make sacrifices whilst growing up. Reflecting on the true meaning of struggle, he said, “Struggle uski hoti hai jisko do waqt ki roti nahi milti hai (the person who doesn’t get two square meals in a day is the one who is struggling). Honestly, sitting in my position, I cannot use words like struggle and sacrifice. For me, there has been no struggle and no sacrifice, I am doing what I love.”
He added, “I am just grateful, actually, I am in a privileged position as I am getting to do what I have always loved to do. I play a sport which is my profession. If you really think about the real problems that people face in life… you can’t compare getting out in a Test series to someone who doesn’t have a roof in his house,” he declared, to thunderous applause from the audience.
What Lies Ahead
There has been much speculation about whether Kohli can go on until the next ODI World Cup in 2027. In an interview in December 2024, his ex-coach Rajkumar Sharma stated that not only is Kohli nowhere close to retirement, but he is likely to carry on for five more years, which means playing the next World Cup in South Africa. “Virat is still very fit and not too old to retire,” Sharma said in an interview with ‘Dainik Jagran’. “I believe that Virat will play cricket for five more years. Virat will also be seen playing in the 2027 World Cup. The rapport between Virat and me is very good. I have known him well since Virat was not even 10 years old. I have been with him for more than 26 years. That is why I can say that Virat still has a lot of cricket left in him.”
Post Dubai, the confidence is back. As former India opener and Champions Trophy tournament ambassador Shikhar Dhawan vouched, “Virat standing on the crease, his presence is big. The opposition have fear in them.” Spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who took a crucial 3-40 to peg back Pakistan, added, “There is only one big player in the team and that is Virat ‘bhai’ (brother), who played a brilliant innings.” Kohli’s formative coach Sharma had the last word when he jibed, “Ab to nahi poochhoge ki Virat form mein nahi hai?” (I hope you won’t ask me that Virat is not in form?).”
Keep shining, Mr Kohli. There are many rooting for you!
Did you know…?
After winning the blockbuster Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan, Kohli looked into the camera and kissed his wedding ring, knowing his wife Anushka Sharma would be watching the match from home. Married to Sharma since 2017, Kohli regularly expresses his love for his wife, whom he calls his pillar of strength and support. It has been hinted that Kohli would shift base to the UK, where he plans on spending his life post-retirement. While the couple owns a property in London, their second child – son Akaay – was born there in February 2024.
