NEW DELHI: Batting maestro Virat Kohli’s mental toughness has long been a defining feature of his career and stories from his early days continue to highlight 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. SIGN UP NOW!Kohli’s former Delhi team-mate Jagrit Anand sheds light on another example from his under-17 days where the bat rose above the challenges – this time, even without a coach in his corner. In an interview on The Quiet Rise Podcast by Meh Bhardwaj, Alter Anand revealed that despite a prolific previous season, Kohli faced opposition from within the set-up.
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RCB’s big changes ahead of IPL: New rules, tribute and squad update “When we played under-17, we played two seasons – Virat scored a double century and a couple of centuries in the previous season. Virat was a household name in the Delhi circuit. He was always outstanding. When the next season came, there was one particular coach who was not too fond of Virat, so he tried to bring him down in his own ways despite having such a record,” said An.But if anything, the adversity only made Kohli stronger. Recalling the high-pressure match against Punjab in Patiala, Anand highlighted the young batsman’s mindset. “Virat has always been someone who, if you give a challenge, will love it,” he said.Before the match, Kohli made his intention clear in a team chat. “He said, ‘I will beat the hell out of these people’ in his proper Delhi language,” revealed Anand. A statement followed – Kohli smashed a double century against a powerful Punjab attack that included pacer Sidharth Kaul.The inning was part of a remarkable run. Kohli scored another double hundred that season along with three more centuries and led Delhi to the Vijay Merchant Trophy title. “So you see, such a challenge. Imagine a coach having authority in this age group, but that still didn’t stop someone like Virat,” Anand added.This stunning run of form paved the way for Kohli’s rapid rise, including a List A debut soon after and leading India to the 2008 Under-19 World Cup title.
