Virat Kohli throughout the years has shaped up as one the greatest batters India has ever produced, but his journey has not been without ups and lows.
The darkest phase so far as his personal life is concerned, was perhaps when he lost his father to a cardiac arrest in 2006 in the middle of a Ranji Trophy match. His long-time friend and colleague Ishant Sharma has revealed how the star batter pulled himself together through the rough patch with grit and determination.
Spilling the beans on The Ranveer Show on YouTube, the Indian pacer shared the anecdote from his time with Kohli on Delhi’s Ranji team in 2006. It was during their match against Karnataka that Kohli lost his father Prem, but not only did he not only show up on the ground the day after but also scored a solid 80 runs.
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“I have never seen him cry, but I know that he was saddest when his father expired. We were playing a Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka. He was batting overnight, and he used always pick me for the match. We used to go from Patel Nagar to Ferozshah Kotla. He was very serious (that day), and there was a video analyst with him,” Sharma revealed.
“I asked him why he was so serious, but he did not reply. I gave him a tapli (a gentle knock) on the head. Then the other person told me that his father has expired. I did not know how to react. We were 17. He still batted and scored 80 runs as well. If something like that had happened to me, I don’t think I could even have gone to the ground,” he added.
Sharma’s relationship with Kohli goes back to his U-17 trials for Delhi. He also shed light on other shades of Kohli’s person, while highlighting how he had evolved over the years.
He recalled their tour to Kolkata for a U-19 match representing Delhi and revealed how Kohli knocked off 250 runs after having partied all night.
“I have seen all his phases. From party to tattoo, fitness freak to top performer, he has made a massive transformation in his career. He was fond of parties, and during a tournament in Kolkata, he went partying the whole night but scored 250 the next day. He was unbeaten the previous day, and we were representing Delhi in U-19 cricket,” Ishant added.
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