Should 60 overs feel like hell? YES, THEY SHOULD! said the man who redefined how India should play their cricket. As the man, the myth, the legend says goodbye to Test cricket, here’s what Virat Kohli meant to me — and probably the whole nation.
I feel lucky enough to have started understanding and following cricket just a few years into his international career. I can almost say that I followed the full circle. What I learned from Virat is the meaning of character. The fact that his aggressive expressions were at par with his batting was something that taught me how to be proud of the skills you have.
Interestingly, when he became captain of the Test squad in 2014/15, my uncle and I used to laugh at the fact that from Captain Cool, the captaincy was now going into the hands of someone not only warm but HOT in his temperament. Who knew that it wouldn’t just revolutionize Indian cricket, but also how people would look at Test cricket as a whole?
Till today, after all his extravagant centuries and a total of 9,230 runs, I credit Virat Kohli for making India’s bowling line-up one of the most lethal during his tenure as captain—and for his emphasis on fitness. Becoming one of the fittest cricketers in the world and leading from the front to make the Indian cricket team one of the fittest teams in the world was an outstanding effort and achievement.
I’m sure a lot of people were affected when the great Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket. Unfortunately, I was too young to understand cricket when he was in his prime, but today I can imagine how millions of people must’ve shed tears watching his final innings. I am grateful to have gotten the chance to witness THE KING OF CRICKET through the ups and downs of international cricket.
To the most successful Test captain of India—40 wins in 68 games—all I can say is thank you!! Thank you for those countless moments when we were never out of the game because you were still on the crease. Thank you for becoming an image who not only silenced crowds but also the international media. Thank you for always playing for the team’s cause and never for your personal milestones.
You shall be sorely missed in whites, your favourite format Virat.
