He looks like a plus two aspirant - spiked hair, sporting an "I know myself" attitude. On a closer look at this 19-year-old, one can understand why he was picked as the captain of the under-19 cricket world cup winning squad. The aggression, passion for the game and urge to excel is writ clear on his face.
From captaining U-19 team to donning the fiery colours of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Virat Kohli’s ascend has been quite swift. The world cup and captaincy, says Virat, changed his career. "Captaining and winning the world cup meant a lot. It was a turning point that I needed to capitalise on."
Barely over a year ago, Virat lost his father in the early hours during a crucial Ranji trophy match. His team said, "we'll stand by you, your family needs you now." His family and mentors encouraged him to stand by his team and play.
That day, he played a brilliant knock which helped his team avoid follow-on. Virat was dismissed, 10 runs short of a century. He returned to the pavilion to a standing ovation. Heading straight to watch a replay on the computer, young Virat was convinced it was a wrong dismissal. Nodding his head he headed straight to perform the final rites of his father.
Recalling those moments Virat says, "Nothing was going into my head. I was in a dilemma. I didn't know what to do. I was just looking at the ball and playing. Thoughts of my father were there in my head but, if I thought a lot about it, I wouldn't have been able to play."
Virat is not attracted to cricket for glamour and money. "It was entirely my decision to play cricket and my family supported me. If I perform well, everything else will follow," says Virat.
Nevertheless, cricket means big money. So, how does Virat plan to stay balanced? "I need to do well. Nothing else matters. The IPL money is a bonus. If I was asked to play in the IPL without money, I'd still do it because I get to play with stalwarts like Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid," avers Virat.
Off the field, Virat is a typical teenager. "I love hanging out with friends and watching movies," he admits. Virat likes driving and playing lawn tennis.
Virat's association with Bangalore is special. "I have been coming here since my under-15 days when I used to play for the State. I am attached to the city and its weather."
