Virat 'King' Kohli - how he reached the top of the leaderboard
3 stories from his life
India lost to Australia in the finals of the cricket world cup (2023). Many pages will be written about what Australia did right, and where India went wrong. But this week’s ‘Lighter Side’ edition is all about Virat Kohli - stories from his life that have shaped him to become one of the greatest cricketeer of our times.
Before I start with the stories, a quick heads-up -
If you are one of Kohli’s die-hard fans - I hosted a 25-question-quiz on King Kohli on ‘What’s new today’ podcast. You can listen to that podcast episode by clicking the link below. You could also finish reading three inspiring stories from Kohli’s life, and then listen to the episode. I’m leaving the link to the quiz at the end of this newsletter as well.
Story 1: The boy who rarely missed a practice session
Like most Indian children, 3-yr old Virat Kohli carried a cricket bat and a tennis ball to run outside his house and play gully cricket with his friends from the neighbourhood. In the evenings, when his father would come home from work, he’d run out to greet him, drag him to play cricket with him and insist that he bowl to him.
Around the age of nine, his father realised that Virat might have some talent in cricket, and enrolled him in a coaching academy. Initially, the coach (Rajkumar Sharma) thought Virat was like most Indian boys - crazy about cricket, but that his enthusiasm would fade once the rigorous training sessions began.
But to his amazement, Virat’s interest in the game and willingness to practice only went up, even after the training got tougher. Some days, his coach would have to force him to leave the ground and go home, after the sessions ended. Virat’s mother says that it was very rare for him to miss any coaching session. If it meant waking up early every single day, and put in hours of long practice (in addition to going to school and finishing homework), Virat never minded it. He rarely asked to be allowed a day of rest. Remember, practice sessions in cricket often meant hours of fitness exercises - not just a fun-time wielding the cricket bat and hitting a few boundaries.
Trivia: His coach Rajkumar Sharma remembers how Virat had a very open and positive attitude on the cricket ground - he had no problems with batting in any position. He was equally happy to be an opening batsman or someone who batted way lower down in the order. He just loved to play.
Is there anything that you love so much, that you’d spend hours doing it, no matter how tough the going got? If you’ve found that, I’d guess that just like Virat Kohli, you too have found your calling :)
Story 2: The boy who braved on, after his father’s death
When I read his mother’s interviews, a young 9-year old’s willingness to work hard was obvious. But there was one more factor that was stood out - his father’s support. His father (Prem Kohli) was a lawyer by profession. When Prem saw Virat’s interest and skill in the game, he took the time and effort for nearly a decade - to travel far and wide with his son, so he never missed a match or practice session.
Young Virat began to rise and he was selected to represent Delhi in a Ranji trophy match. It was a 4-day match and his team was playing against Karnataka. At the end of one of the days, when Virat had still been batting, the game had ended. He was to resume batting the next morning. That night, around 2:30am, Virat’s father became unwell. The family - his mother, brother, sister and young Virat - took him to the hospital. Shortly after, his father passed away in the hospital.
Virat Kohli, in an interview says “I don’t think I felt any emotion when I was in the hospital. I was blank.” That same morning, Virat called his coach (Sharma) and told him about his father’s death. He also informed him that he would resume batting that day.
Virat says “I wanted to play that morning to honour my father. He would not have been happy to know that I was unprofessional and did not turn up at the match that day. I cried a lot after I finished batting. I went home and performed the funeral rites for my father, along with my brother. It had always been a dream for my father that I would play for India. I promised to myself and my father that I would do whatever it took, to make that promise come true. Everything else in life lost its value. Cricket became my priority.”
Virat Kohli was 18 years of age, when he lost his father.
Story 3: The boy who decided to put fitness over fun
This little Punjabi boy who grew up in Delhi, relished food - especially butter chicken and laddoos. Like most kids, Virat too loved hanging out with his friends. They watched movies together till late in the evenings and partied hard.
Today, he eats boiled and steamed vegetables, lots of soups, smoothies and juices. He never eats fried food or sweets or animal protein. Virat can rarely be found awake beyond 10pm and is almost always up by 5am (and wakes his wife up too, to spread the joy around :).
Why give up on food and fun? Virat Kohli is arguably one of the fittest cricketeers in the world. Fitness, for him, is not just about putting in hours of physical exercises, but also about eating the right diet and getting the right sleep. To play at the highest level of cricket in the world, that is the dedication it takes. It also means a willingness to make a few sacrifices.
Cricket became everything for him after he lost his father. Food and fun took a secondary seat in his life, once he made that vow to his father. Nothing could come between him and his promise to his father.
Want to share these stories with your friends who love Virat Kohli? Click the Share button and enter their email ID. Super easy. It’s FREE!
Remember the 25-question quiz on Virat Kohli? Click below and listen to the episode. See how well you know King Kohli!
