Virat Kohli: The Cricketer
A formidable combination of talent and attitude. This sums up Virat Kohli, one of the most successful cricketers across all formats in Indian cricket. Born in a Punjabi family in Delhi, Kohli’s interest in cricket began at the tender age of 3. His father, Prem Kohli, noticed the lad’s talent and nurtured it. He took his son to West Delhi Cricket Academy when he turned nine. Kohli’s first coach was Rajkumar Sharma at the WDC Academy, and he knew right away that the boy was destined for greatness.
Kohli is the national team captain in all formats. He is a top-middle-order batsman who performs well both in domestic and international cricket. He is known for his prodigious batting, flamboyant shots, and aggressive play.
One of the highlights in Virat’s early career came during a tournament he played under coach Rajkumar at the Delhi Development Authority’s Sports Complex ground in Hari Nagar. The tournament had six games, and Virat got out only once in the tournament. He was also the leading run-scorer. During the presentation ceremony, he received the Player of the Tournament Award from fast-bowler Ashish Nehra. Nehra, a superstar in the Indian cricket firmament, had just returned after an excellent showing in the 2003 World Cup campaign. It spelled the beginning of a remarkable career for Virat that has seen more highs than lows.
Soon, he was selected for the 4-team Emerging Players Tournament held in Australia, between July and August 2009. He played 7 games and scored 398 runs at an average of 66.33. This made him the leading run-scorer in the tournament.
When Gautam Gambhir was injured, there was another recall for Virat for a series against Sri Lanka. He hit his maiden century in the 4th ODI of the Sri Lankan series. After the 224-run stand with Gambhir, the latter handed his ‘Man of the Match’ award to Kohli.
As his performance improved over the next few years, he began to play for India regularly. 2010 was a turning point for him. He finished the year with 995 runs at an average of 47.38, effectively becoming the highest run-scoring batsman. This, at the age of 22!
Assuredly, 2010 helped cement Kohli’s place in India’s starting XI. He said that the tournament gave a big boost to his confidence, made him much more stronger mentally, and taught him to bat in pressure conditions.
A Successful and Powerful Captain
Kohli was seen as a natural successor of Tendulkar, but Kohli aspired for more. He wanted to be someone who could give sleepless nights to the opposition. The game was more intense whenever Kohli was on the pitch. Defensive was not the word that defined him. He reveled in taking the offensive. It was he who transformed the fitness culture in Indian cricket by introducing endurance tests which became a criterion for selection.
Kohli is not just a successful captain, he is also the most powerful cricket captain in Indian cricket. Even BCCI administrators were in awe of him, which says a lot about the clout he enjoyed. Read more on free tools here : https://www.astroved.com/astropedia/en/freetools/free-janam-kundali
