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Writer's pictureThirteen

I saw myself in the mirror

I am not a Virat Kohli fan. Fortunately or unfortunately I just couldn't get over from Sachin Tendulkar. Maybe, that is why 'one moving on in life' is easier said than done. But once the penny drops, everything inside and outside you not just moves but transforms.


Virat was born in Delhi, India on November 5, 1988. Yes, so it's his birthday today. He is the first player in ICC cricket history to win all 3 ICC awards in a single year- ICC ODI player of the year, ICC Test player of the year and ICC Player of the year award in 2018. He is rated as one of the best batsmen in the world. None of this was possible if he had not seen himself in the mirror in 2012.

"This person in front of me cannot be an international player"

Virat did his ODI debut in August 2008. he then played in T20 and also got selected for Test cricket. But his performance was getting mediocre. After all, this had happened, he describes his situation, "I was just another player in just another team. The opposition neither had fear nor any respect for me. I was someone who will come, score a few runs and get out. (I was) just a push-over." It was in 2012 that he saw himself in the mirror and said, "This person in front of me cannot be an international player". That one, brutally honest introspection at that moment changed Virat and with him the future of Indian cricket forever. He changed the way he thinks, eats, exercises and plays.

"I wanted to be the best version of myself"

"I wanted to be the best version of myself", reveals Virat in his interview with Graham Bensinger. A Chole-Bhature eating Delhi boy transformed his life with a strict healthy diet, rigorous exercise and bringing a paradigm shift in his mindset. "Now I don't even recognise that old Virat", he admits. The benefits of this transformation are seen in his energy levels, in his ability to play high-intensity games, his fast recovery time, performance enhancement, stamina, and cricket statistics are just matters of details.

"Now I don't even recognise that old Virat"

"Virat Kohli is one player you don't want to mess with during a game", says Rashid Latif (former Pakistan captain). From someone who was just another player for the opposition team to someone who can snatch victory from the hands of the opposition, is the magic that happens once the penny drops.


Happy Birthday, Virat!



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Post's Cover Image Source and Credit: Forbes

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