Why December 19, is an extremely emotional date for Virat Kohli

Ever since Virat Kohli was bestowed with captaincy duties, he has done a brilliant job and taken the team to new heights. The Indian team enjoyed an extremely successful home season under the tutelage of Kohli, defeating one formidable opponent after the other. But the story of his success and the making of what he is today traces back to a long time back when the Delhi cricketer was still a lad.

Today, December 19, is a date that will always bring tears to his eyes. However, eleven years earlier in 2006, it was the day that also provided a young Kohli with his coming of age moment.

It was the third day of a Ranji Trophy super league game between hosts Delhi and Karnataka. A then 18-year-old Virat was unbeaten on 40 overnight and had a big job to do as his side still needed 192 runs to avoid the follow-on. However, early in the morning, his life turned upside down when he received the shocking news of his father’s death while batting on the pitch.

For the first time, fans witnessed Kohli’s steely determination that would become a hallmark in the coming years

For Virat, his father Prem Kohli was everything from being a friend to a guide. His loss, as expected, had numbed him. Yet, the youngster was back on the ground after being part of his father’s cremation ceremony in the morning. Wearing a blank look, he batted with valour and an iron fist.

He didn’t speak even a single word to anyone in the middle, but his bat did the talking. He eventually got out for 90, but by then he had ensured safety for his side.

The day was not about runs, though. For the first time, we witnessed Kohli’s steely determination that would become a hallmark of his cricketing career in years to come.

The story of how Virat Kohli overcame the loss of his father and returned to cricket ground to bat serves as a testament to the umpteen records that he has overtaken ever since his foray.