Having grown up in a fairly cricket-oriented family, I was always connected to the sport. There isn’t a time when I don’t recall playing cricket. I vividly remember being glued to the TV on March 26, 2016, with Virat Kohli in prime form. Just like a million other kids who must have been inspired by the way that Kohli had commanded his innings, something changed inside me too. You couldn’t help but feel his raw, unbridled passion through the TV screen. That is the power that Kohli holds.
On that day, it seemed like destiny was putty in Kohli’s hands. It felt as though fate had meticulously crafted the moment. Moments that are treasured and etched in our memories. Kohli, falling to his knees, looking up at the sky, eyes brimming with tears, a moment so rare, so powerful that the unbeaten 82 from the chase master seemed as if it would only happen once in a lifetime. That was the very day I decided that I no longer wanted to play cricket in alleyways. I wanted to be on the field. I wanted to be the one to inspire people, just like he had inspired me.
Obsession with the Sport and Kohli’s Journey
Just like a relentless hound that never stops chasing its quarry. I fell into the rabbit hole of trying to learn everything I possibly could about what went into the making of Kohli. And in more ways than one, I could relate to his journey. I too was a chubby kid who had trouble losing weight, despite playing sports right through school. I stumbled upon his interviews where he talked about his extreme transformation into one of the fittest athletes on the planet. One particular video imprinted itself in my brain where he said that in the initial days of his journey, he locked himself in his room so he couldn’t act upon his cravings while eating only roasted chana. “I knew that if I crossed these three months, the rest of my life was going to be wonderful,” he said. Boy, was he right!
The 82-not-out innings that I talked about, which felt like a once-in-a-lifetime event was, in fact, anything but. Kohli did it, not once, not twice – he replicated the same effect, the same passion and the same inspiration countless other times.
That was it. That’s all it took for me to go from a normal kid who loved sports to someone who wanted to play cricket for the rest of her life. I was dedicated, I had never felt what I felt when I used to walk onto the field. The smell of freshly cut grass, the sharp blow of the seam on the palm of your hand, putting on a helmet as you walked to the crease, marking the second-stump guard just like Kohli did, feeling the vibrations of the bat when the ball hit the sweet spot – I lived for those moments.
A phenomenon like Kohli doesn’t happen every day. Every time I’ve walked onto the field, I’ve tried to replicate the way that he walked to the crease, with unmistakable confidence and determination, only to realise that such self-belief is a product of years and years of dedication. You don’t wake up with it, it’s not a gift. It comes with hard work. I’ve faced challenges on my own cricket journey, moments of doubt and setbacks, but Kohli’s example has always been the guiding light. Whenever I watched him play, I saw more than just a cricketer. I saw a symbol of hope, a symbol of consistency, dedication and pure resolve.
As with a million others, Kohli not only fuelled my passion for the sport but also instilled in me values that I will carry with me throughout my life. My work ethic, and my dedication to consistency, all come from the little kid who would watch his every move. I’ve come to understand that success isn’t just about the highs, but the unwavering commitment to performing your best every single day. Kohli’s consistency has taught me that excellence is not a one-time achievement. It’s a result of daily effort, practice and discipline.
He has shown me and many others that dreams are realised through resilience, through locking yourself in the room with your dreams and pushing boundaries. I’ve embraced these lessons, and they became a guiding force not only on my cricketing journey but in all aspects of my life.
If Virat Kohli teaches you anything, it’s to strive for greatness and never settle for mediocrity.