BENGALURU: A few days ago, Virat Kohli shared his CBSE Class 10 mark sheet with the caption, “It’s funny how the things that add the least to your mark sheet, add the most to your character.” He was referring to his mathematics score. Kohli had scored 51 in math in his broad exams, which was his least among all the other subjects.
With most of his scores in the 70s, Kohli was teased to have figured out the ‘balancing act’ right from a young age. “I think the scores were quite decent considering I studied for only two months,” replies Kohli. Part of a conversation of ‘Let there be Sports Conclave’ organised by Puma India, Kohli emphasises that he, in no way, wants to encourage youngsters to neglect academics.
“I have learnt the most important lesson from sports. There are a couple of situations where you are absolutely under pressure and have to perform. For that to happen, you have to be consistent and do daily practice. When I am in a similar situation, I make sure I don’t fade away. That’s what sports does to me. If you are into sports, then immerse yourself into it,” says Kohli, adding that sports and fitness have always been an integral part of his life.
He further adds, “My career as a cricketer has positively shaped my personality and emotional well-being. I hope my journey as a sports professional inspires the nation to make fitness a way of life.” The son of a lawyer, and coming from a non-cricketing background, Kohli always believed sports happened very naturally. “I always knew I wanted to be a cricketer.
Where the intuition came from I have no idea. I can’t claim that I had watched my brother or father play because I got into sports on my own. I guess for me, a career in cricket was meant to be. When I looked back, I knew that I wanted that bat to be in my hand and learn the relevant skills. That’s how my journey started,” says Kohli. His initial influence was by watching various games on TV.
“I was pretty decent at playing cricket. We used to live in a society where someone, upon noticing my ability to copy shots, suggested to my father that I be enrolled in an academy. My father asked me if I wanted to learn the game after which I got into West Delhi Cricket Academy.
That’s the brief start of me getting into sports,” Kohli recalls. Calling himself lucky, he mentions he didn’t have many people around him who discouraged him from playing the game. “I never had anybody asking me why I was wasting time with cricket. I was pretty decent at studies, except for this math bit,” he mentions with a laugh.
Virat Kohli, who is in the city for Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first match of this IPL edition, shares how he got into cricket, the kind of student he was in school and the importance of supporting those with an inclination towards sports