Virat Kohli Terms His Father's Demise As The Biggest Motivating Factor Behind Him Taking Up Cricket As A Career

Indian captain Virat Kohli participated in an informal chat with his long-time on-field rival Steve Smith on the eve of the first India-Australia Test match at the Adelaide Oval.

Kohli has been playing top-level cricket for 12 years now, during which he has impinged himself as one of the greatest to have ever graced this beautiful sport.

The Indian captain shed light on what led him to choose cricket as a full-time career. Kohli termed the tragic passing of his father in December 2006 as a life-changing moment; one that gave him a fillip to be single-minded about his goal, which was to become an elite cricketer.

Kohli said that such was his bloody-mindedness towards his goal that he never thought of getting dropped from the team. His sole focus was to become the best version of himself, which he eventually achieved.

“I always knew that I wanted to play the game at the highest level. The time I really thought that I am definitely going to make this my career is when my father passed away. That’s the time I realised I got to get serious about this, actually my proper commitment and my focus can not shift,” Virat Kohli told Steve Smith.

“I became single-minded from then on, just focussed to play for India and play for a long time. I did not even think that I am going to get dropped from the team and anything like that. It was a pure motivation and the will to move forward,” he added.

Ahead of the Vodafone Test Series, @stevesmith49 and @imVkohli took the time to interview each other in a special Q&A and go in-depth on their cricketing journey so far.

Enjoy! #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/7tpcLD6OM2

— Cricket Australia (@CricketAus) December 16, 2020

For the uninitiated, an 18-year-old Virat Kohli made headlines in December 2006 when he walked out to bat for his side in a Ranji Trophy game, hours after his father’s demise.

Earlier this year, Virat Kohli, in an Instagram Live session with Indian Football skipper Sunil Chettri, opened up about that phase of his life and how and why he decided to bat for his team on the day his father died.

“I accepted his death, as I was focused on moving forward with my career. In fact, I went and batted in a Ranji Trophy match the day after he died,” Virat Kohli said.

“His death made me realise that I had to make something of my life. I think about how nice it would be if I could have given my father the peaceful retired life that he deserved. At times, I get emotional thinking about him,” Kohli had revealed.

Also Read- I Felt That Wasn’t Right To Do That At That Moment: Virat Kohli On Indian Fans Booing Steve Smith During 2019 WC