NEW DELHI: Batting maestro Virat Kohli’s mental toughness has long been a defining trait of his career, and stories from his early days continue to underline just how deep that resilience runs. From playing a Ranji Trophy match the day after his father’s death to dominating age-group cricket, Kohli’s journey has been built on defiance in the face of adversity.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Kohli’s former Delhi teammate Jagrit Anand sheds light on another instance from his Under-17 days where the batter rose above challenges — this time, even when a coach was not in his corner. Speaking on The Quiet Rise Podcast by Meha Bhardwaj Alter, Anand revealed that despite a prolific previous season, Kohli faced resistance from within the setup.
“When we were playing Under-17, we had played two seasons – Virat had scored a double century and a couple of centuries in the previous season. Virat was a known name in the Delhi circuit. He was always outstanding. Now, when it came to the next season, there was a particular coach who was not too much in favour of Virat, so he was trying to pull him down in his own ways in spite of having that kind of record,” Anand said.But if anything, adversity only fuelled Kohli further. Recalling a high-pressure match against Punjab in Patiala, Anand highlighted the young batter’s mindset. “Virat was always someone who, if you give a challenge, he would love it,” he said.Before the game, Kohli made his intent clear in a team conversation. “He said, ‘I will beat the living hell out of these people,’ in his proper Delhi language,” Anand revealed. What followed was a statement performance — Kohli smashed a double century against a strong Punjab attack featuring pacer Sidharth Kaul.The innings was part of a remarkable run. Kohli went on to score another double hundred that season along with three more centuries, leading Delhi to the Vijay Merchant Trophy title. “So, you see, that kind of challenge. Imagine the coach has the authority in that age group, but that still did not stop someone like Virat,” Anand added.That stunning run of form paved the way for Kohli’s rapid rise, including a List A debut soon after and leading India to the Under-19 World Cup title in 2008.
