It’s hard to pin down the moment when Indian cricket changed forever, but for many of us, the shift began in 2008. A young Delhi boy captained the India U-19 team to World Cup glory. He was loud, cocky even – the kind of attitude that rubbed some the wrong way, especially if you, like me, harbored a college-era dislike for Delhi boys and their crowd. But even through the screen, you could feel something different about Virat Kohli. A fire. An unflinching intensity. We wondered: can aggression and performance walk hand in hand?
The 2011 World Cup was a national fever. As a fan, I prayed to see both an out-of-form Yuvraj Singh and a rising Kohli in that squad. Both made it. And while Yuvraj gave us the tournament of a lifetime, it was clear Kohli was the future. After the final, the dream team slowly started to fade- Sachin, Sehwag, Dravid, Laxman, Zaheer, Harbhajan. All our heroes started to say goodbye. Cricket was never the same.
Then came the Adelaide Test in 2012. The series was brutal. Our legends couldn’t hold up against the Aussie attack. But there was one beacon of resistance – Virat Kohli’s maiden Test century. That day, many fans breathed a little easier. The future looked secure. He belonged. And those who doubted? Like Sanjay Manjrekar in 2012, who tweeted, “Give Virat one more Test, just to be sure he doesn’t belong here.” History had its answer.
In 2013, Kohli looked in the mirror at an IPL party and chose a new path. He decided to be the best. That story of self-reflection in a hotel room has since become folklore. He turned a corner. His fitness, his discipline, his clarity – everything transformed. As fans, we fell even harder.
Then came 2014. MS Dhoni walked away from Test cricket mid-series in Australia. Kohli inherited a team still searching for an identity in whites. His brand of captaincy – aggressive, fearless, expressive – gave Test cricket a new audience. He made fans tune in at 5:30 AM for overseas Tests. With Ravi Shastri by his side, the team started believing again.
By 2016, Kohli was peaking. Runs came in all formats. Centuries became routine. He brought Yuvraj back. He nearly carried India single-handedly to a T20 World Cup final at home. The passion, the fitness, the control – it was art.
Then came 2019. India was dominant, and the team was well-rounded. The World Cup was his to lift. But a heartbreaking semi-final loss to New Zealand shattered a billion dreams. And somewhere, something changed.
Post-COVID, things were never quite the same. The runs dried up a bit. The sparkle dimmed. His weakness outside off stump resurfaced. Spinners had a plan. He wasn’t the king anymore. But even in this phase, he averaged close to 50 – a number that would be a dream for most, but for Kohli, felt ordinary. That’s how high the bar was set.
And just when we thought his best was behind him, Adelaide 2022 happened. The six off Haris Rauf – a moment frozen in time. He chased down the impossible and reminded us why he was the Chase Master. That innings alone won over hearts across generations.
The final flourish came in 2024 with a T20 World Cup win. And the cherry on top? The Champions Trophy in 2025. His leadership, his consistency, his sheer will – he gave us everything.
From a fan’s perspective, this ride has been nothing short of magical. Through the ups and downs, from Adelaide 2012 to Adelaide 2022, from cheeky debutant to elder statesman, Kohli became more than a cricketer. He became a habit, a hope, a hero.
“If I see someone laughing, then see! For 60 overs, they should feel hell out there.”
As someone who once predicted in 2009/10 that Kohli would be India’s next big thing, it’s surreal to look back now. While Sourav taught us to win overseas and Dhoni brought us trophies, Kohli made us feel Test cricket. His quote – “For 60 overs they should feel hell out there.” – wasn’t just about cricket. It was about intensity, about never giving up. That mindset will live forever in every Indian cricketer.
And now, with his retirement from Test cricket, it feels like childhood has truly ended. But the memories, the centuries, the chases, the charisma, they’ll remain.
Thank you, Virat. For the memories. For the madness. For making us believe.