Virat Kohli, the indisputable king of Indian cricket, celebrates his 34th birthday today. That he would be a star became evident many years ago, when he played his first List A match in 2006.
It was a Ranji Trophy elite group match between Delhi and Karnataka. Virat Kohli, just 18 years old at that time, scored 90 runs, helping the game end in a draw.
What made young Kohli's performance even more powerful was that he had just suffered a personal tragedy. He returned to the field despite losing his father.
"The elders in the family said he is not supposed to go like this," Virat Kohli's brother Vikas had told NDTV in an interview. "But we took this decision and told him if you are required there you should go there."
Rare footage- 2007 news reportRelated stories
A boy called Virat Kohli Delhi batted at the Kotla hours after tragically losing his father, Delhi drew the match, he got a 50, needless to say the man went on to become the most loved cricketer in Indian history.#HappyBirthdayViratKohli pic.twitter.com/nUSK5tDumS
— (₹) (@ffsvirat) November 4, 2022
As Kohli was playing the match, people were visiting his house to offer their condolences to his family.
On field, Kohli kept his composure but remained quiet. "He was very close to his father," one of his teammates told NDTV. "He has felt the loss very much."
Kohli revealed in an interview years later that it was his father's wish to see him play cricket.
"I came back from the game for the last rites and promised my brother that I will play for India," Kohli told American journalist Graham Bensinger. "My father was very keen on me playing at the highest level. "
Kohli said that from that point onwards, everything else in his life became a secondary.
The cricketer said he emerged stronger after the tragedy. " I feel grateful that I could get the kind of strength from such a difficult point in life,” he added.
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