New Delhi: Virat Kohli, the unstoppable force in modern-day cricket, is now a cricketing icon across the world, smashing records with every passing game.
His passion for the game is unmatchable, and experts often recall the incident, where he turned up to bat for Delhi in a Ranji match on the day of his father's death.
Kohli’s father passed away at 3 a.m. on December 19, 2006, but much to the surprise of his teammates, the flamboyant right-hander, who was then a teenager, came back to resume his unbeaten knock and scored 90 valuable runs. His fighting knock helped Delhi save follow-on against Karnataka.
In an exclusive interview to CNN, Kohli recalled that incident – which he said was the hardest phase of his life.
“I still remember the night my father passed away as it was the hardest time in my life. But the call to play the morning after my father's death came instinctively to me.
"For me, not completing a cricket game was equivalent to committing a sin. Importance that cricket holds in my life is above everything else.”
The Delhi batsman also said that it was an incident which gave him a chance to stay firm in difficult circumstances.
“My father's death gave me the strength to fulfill my dreams, and that of my father's also,” said Kohli.
Kohli is currently leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2016. In the ninth edition of the tournament, Kohli has four fifties and a century under his belt from seven matches.
