VIRAT KOHLI. Words fall short to describe him.
Before him, there was only one man who could stop everyone from what they were doing when he batted. That was Sachin Tendulkar.
But once the God of Cricket retired, only one guy has been able to pull in a billion people. And that’s Virat Kohli!
Sure, Tendulkar’s era was different, perhaps even more difficult than what it is today. But it’s hard to ignore Kohli’s consistency day in, day out.
He has set a template for future players, both through his fitness and his mentality. Even towards the fag end of his career, he is giving it all.
When he bats, you just don’t look away. Not even for a moment. Those cover drives, the timing, the balance, everything about him makes you want to watch him bat forever.
But what makes Kohli great is his ability to adapt. Want to pull things up after an early collapse? He’s right there. Want to chase? Oh, you just blindly trust him to finish things off!
He has been simply brilliant all these years.
And what to say about his captaincy, especially in Tests. Kohli literally changed the way India play Test cricket.
He brought a different kind of energy to the team. He backed his players to fight, no matter which opposition they faced.
Remember the 2021 Lord’s Test when Kohli said, “For 60 overs, they should feel like hell out there.” This mindset set him apart from the previous Indian captains.
It’s not that they were some average captains, but India started believing in winning more under Kohli’s reign. The unbeaten home dominance and overseas brilliance are enough to tell you how good he was.
Despite all this, people questioned him, his aggression. And some still do.
But he always answers them back. And in a way that suits him best, with his bat. This is what makes him special.
What could have been more special was him scoring 10,000 Test runs. He seemed close to the mark. But then came the sudden retirement.
Yes, he wasn’t at his best in the format. He struggled more often than not. But no one saw the retirement coming this early. At least not before he reached 10,000 runs.
The Test retirement, though, has allowed him to focus on what lies ahead. That one last chase, the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
Yes, he has won the Cricket World Cup before, the Champions Trophy twice, the T20 World Cup once and even the under-19 World Cup. But wouldn’t it be poetic to cap off your international career with another trophy?
At least it will help him and all of us move on from the heartbreak of the 19th November.
I hope he gets to live his dream after all he has given for his country.
And a big thank you to Kohli for all those memorable knocks and the entertainment.
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