From a lanky boy to one of the greatest cricketers of all time – 14 years of Virat Kohli

Early on, a young boy aspired to fame. He had two double hundreds by the time Under-17 cricket came around. He had made his Ranji Trophy debut by the age of 18. He was a World Cup-winning captain before the age of 19. He had already won two World Cups at the age of 22. The youngster realized he was born to rule. And the inevitability of it all is perplexing.

Virat Kohli was 18 when his father passed away. Virat was playing a Ranji match versus Karnataka. He had scored 40 runs overnight. To the shock of his teammates, he turned up at Feroz Shah Kotla the following morning and scored 90 runs to avoid a follow-on and rescue Delhi. There is no better illustration of Kohli’s early development of responsibility than this.

He made his international debut against Sri Lanka in Dambulla on this day in 2008. At the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium, Kohli was asked to open the innings because both Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were not available to play. Virat Kohli strode out to the middle with Gautam Gambhir on that bright Monday in Dambulla and went on to dominate the decade. Runs flowed and several records were broken years later.

Sri Lanka’s bowling attack included Nuwan Kulasekara, Chaminda Vaas, Ajantha Mendis, and Muttiah Muralitharan on the challenging surface. Kohli walked back to the pavilion after scoring 12 off 22 balls. Getting out for only 12 runs, Kohli didn’t have a great start to his career, but like any other adolescent, there was potential, and who knew that this youngster was going to be one of the greatest batters one day?

The star batter improved his technique and soon became a regular feature in the playing XI. He stunned the cricketing world by playing sensational knocks one after the other. As more elite bowlers fell prey to Kohli’s skill, his stature continued to rise. Among many other astounding achievements, Virat Kohli, who has amassed over 23,500 runs in international play, is the fastest to attain 10,000 ODI runs and 20,000 international runs.

Kohli was instrumental in the 2011 World Cup victory and the 2013 Champions Trophy. He excelled in his leadership capacity after demonstrating his skill in the batting domain. When he was appointed India’s permanent captain across all formats in January 2017, what happened next was not a surprise to anyone.

The talismanic batter continued to get better and break records, making this journey spectacular. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to claim that Kohli changed the face of Indian cricket with his sheer tenacity and confidence in beating the odds. Between 2014 and 2016, Kohli notched up 19 centuries and established himself as the world’s best batsman across all forms.

When you see Virat Kohli in action, you immediately notice two things. One, there is zeal and a drive to excel in all he does. Other than that, he plays to win. Isn’t it something that every player does? But not quite like Virat, who can bring the entire stadium to life with his batting, which everyone now admits is a work of art in and of itself.

Four IPL centuries in a single season, Man of the Series in WT20 2016 for the second time, three double hundreds in tests, and four ODI tons. All of the magic in a single year. That was 2016 in a nutshell.

Virat Kohli asserted his supremacy across formats again in 2017. He began the year with centuries and finished the year with double hundreds nearly at will, proving that consistency is essential for success.

With yet another record-breaking year, Virat Kohli proved that he is the world’s best batsman. Like 2016, the script for 2018 was already written before the year began.

Virat Kohli, the Indian captain, guided Team India to a historic victory Down Under in 2019. Aside from that, he became the fastest batsman in international cricket history to amass 20,000 runs.

Kohli has played 102 Tests, 262 ODIs, and 99 T20Is for India, scoring 8074, 12344, and 3308 runs in the three formats, respectively. He has a total of 70 international hundreds, the most recent of which came in a Test against Bangladesh in November 2019.

Each athlete’s vocation shows up as a blip that comes to characterise his or her time. It becomes interchangeable with the competitor’s being. Name any athlete across sports – Sachin Tendulkar, Roger Federer, Cristiano Ronaldo, they have all gone through such phases in their international career. Virat Kohli’s last year or more hasn’t fared well by his standards, which even he might agree with.

The unpredictable manner in which Indian cricket as a whole operates also contributes to this desire to do better. If you give up, you’ll be dragged down. You will get knocked over if you let your guard down. It is a merciless country with a brutal cricket culture: constantly on the go, always prepared to forget.

Amid all this, Kohli remains that same individual who wants to dominate, regardless of the conditions or the opposition, after 14 years in international cricket. That person who wants to be remembered for his palpable aggression and for inspiring a team to fight fire with fire.

Along with improving his own performance, Kohli also instilled a “fearless attitude” in the Indian team. The batter is already a giant in the game at the age of 33, and only time will tell how far he develops. The star batter has recently had fewer runs than usual, but he would be eager to return to his A-game.

Virat Kohli is 33 years old and still has a lot more cricket in him. When he strides out to bat, a billion hearts beat as one. He still has a lot of bowling attacks to deal with, battles to win, records to break, and, most importantly, more matches to win for India.

India at 75: Athletes’ remarkable journey at the Olympics and Paralympics

The Government of India launched Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to honor and celebrate 75 years of independence as well as the illustrious past of its people, culture, and accomplishments. This initiative is devoted to the Indian citizens who have contributed to the advancement of India along its evolutionary path.

Even in terms of sports, India has a very illustrious past. Indian athletes have excelled and succeeded in a range of sports disciplines at all levels, including local, national, and international competitions.

Since attaining independence on August 15, 1947, India has come a long way in sports, from winning its first-ever Olympic gold medal in field hockey in 1948 to producing one of the best-ever performances at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics last year and the recently concluded Commonwealth Games 2022.

Here’s to a plethora of sports legends and their achievements as they continue to serve as an example for people from all facets of life. In an exclusive interview, they speak about the pride of representing the nation, the value of the national flag, and what it is like to sing the national anthem after winning a medal.

A man with a golden arm

Millions of people became emotional after hearing the national anthem at the Olympics for the first time since Beijing 2008. A fitting conclusion to the story of Neeraj Chopra, who discovered the sport while trying to shed some weight and overcame a slew of injuries to give Indian athletics its greatest moment on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

While the Olympic victory from the previous year did not completely subside, Neeraj Chopra put up another stupendous performance with his first-ever podium place at the World Championships. His legacy had already been cemented in gold by the historic Olympic victory, but the performance in Eugene made it even more plated.

“As a soldier, I believe that everybody feels a sense of pride whenever our National Anthem is played. Our country garners immense respect from the people and other nations, and when our anthem plays on foreign soil, people, athletes, and officials all show great respect to both our anthem and country,” he said, on asking him how it feels when you see the tri-color flying high.

“The respect that we have for our flag is finally getting inculcated in the youngsters, and that respect should last forever. I just want to say, obviously respect the flag always, but also stay fit,” he added.

Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya’s Olympic medal at Tokyo

Ravi Kumar Dahiya, 24, of Haryana, has now won silver at the Olympics, bronze at the World Championships, and gold at the Commonwealth Games. Over the past two years, he has been India’s most dependable wrestler. He shared his experience of representing the nation on the grandest stage and what it feels like to win an Olympic medal.

“Trying to describe that moment in itself is very difficult. When the national flag flies high because of an athlete, I don’t think there is any bigger thing than that in life. When the national anthem is playing for you in front of an overseas crowd, it gives you goosebumps. The government has supported us a lot. You could see how active the Prime Minister was during the Olympics and Paralympics. They have helped sports grow in the right direction,” he said.

India’s savior, PR Sreejesh

There were seven seconds left in the game, and the first Olympic hockey medal was far from certain. The Indian men’s hockey team received the loudest cheering during the Tokyo Olympics, but not after a goal. It was a save that received the highest applause.

However, PR Sreejesh didn’t allow the past to repeat itself. To change history, he was there. Indian hockey was making new history. And he did that. Sreejesh made sure they crossed the finish line with the last of many saves that had slowly advanced Indian hockey to that point in Tokyo. He had a promise to keep, therefore it had to be him. He says you turn into an ambassador who represents the nation when you step onto the field.

“That is something that can only be felt by an athlete or a sportsperson who has been in that situation. You are a normal person, but when you go on the field you become an ambassador who represents 1.38 billion people. When you sing the national anthem, it reminds you of your responsibility. It gives you goosebumps; it reminds you of your fans, family, and friends. It was a special moment when we received the medal and the national flag was rising.”

They made the country proud at the Tokyo Paralympics. They are already preparing for the Paralympics in Paris in 2024, not willing to rest on their laurels. We are showcasing the para-athletes who have persevered through the most difficult obstacles to keep their lights on.

Suhas L Yathiraj, the country’s first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics

Suhas Yathiraj’s self-confidence, perseverance, discipline, and love of the sport have served as his compass points along the way and have inspired many athletes. He believes India is becoming a sports-playing nation.

“For a sportsperson or any human being, there is no better feeling than to see the tri-colour up in a country where the highest sporting competitions in the world are being held. In the new India, sport is flourishing, Indian culture is being celebrated, and as a society, we are maturing continuously. India has always been a sports-loving country, but the last few years have transformed India, or rather its youth, from a sports-loving youth to a sports-playing youth.”

2 gold and 1 silver. Devendra Jhajharia, India’s one-armed javelin legend

Devendra Jhajharia and India have both come a long way since winning a gold medal in Athens in 2004, where he represented India by funding his trip and winning a silver at the age of 40 with all the facilities provided.

“There has been a massive development, especially in Paralympics. During the 2004 Paralympics, when I went to Athens to represent the country, I paid for my trip. A player who purchased his ticket, his kit, and then went on to win a gold medal by breaking a world record was an extremely proud feeling,” he said.

“In 2021, we had a Target Podium Olympics Scheme (TOPS). A player had access to a coach, fitness trainer, nutritionist, and physiotherapist, so we have seen a huge change. Our honorable Prime Minister had a vision and he has done an incredible job. There has been a big development in paralympic sports in the last few years, and you can see that change. Before Tokyo, India had only won 12 medals, and in the Tokyo Olympics we managed to win 19 medals,” he added.

Bhavina Patel, India’s silver medallist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games

Bhavinaben Patel, who was competing in her first Paralympic Games, had a great tournament in Tokyo when she defeated four players who were ranked higher than her.

The government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) has given the nation’s sport a completely new perspective; athletes now just need to focus on doing their tasks well rather than worrying about the particulars or the costs. Most of the athletes believe the same, and so does the first-ever Indian table tennis player to earn a place on the podium at the Paralympic Games.

“Because of the campaigns our Prime Minister ran, for example, ‘Khelo India’ and ‘Accessible India for Paralympians’, because of all this, a lot of awareness was there. People’s perspectives have shifted; we as athletes had never received such extensive media coverage, and this was the first time we had won so many medals,” she said.

“The government has supported the athletes-Sports Authority of India, Paralympic Committee of India, Olympic Gold Quest, ESIC (my office). These organizations provided me with a platform. There is a rise in awareness because our PM is actively involved in making sports better in India,” she signed off.

The golden period of Indian sports is knocking on the doors and may it continue to rise higher. May the Nation awake to a new era of more progress and greatness.