Virat Kohli enters the 500-match club, just another number in his aura of greatness

Over the last 48 hours, #KohliRulesCricket has taken over social media, and for no small reason. One of the greatest ever athletes in the history of cricket, Virat Kohli will be stepping into his 500th international match - another milestone in his ever-bulging collection of records.

Ardent fans of his will argue that Kohli’s name appearing in a hashtag is as rare as Bengaluru’s traffic jams - both frequent enough to be an everyday occurrence. However, what makes this achievement sweeter is that it’s not just spoken all over India, even the bus stops and universities in Trinidad have posters to recognise the great man’s feat.

Unreal hype for Virat Kohli in Trinidad as he's going to play his 500 th international match .

-Virat Kohli's poster at Trinidad University. pic.twitter.com/umJlPH7L7p

— Sohel. (@SohelVkf) July 19, 2023

Ahead of India’s first Test at Dominica, Kohli was seen posing for pictures and signing autographs for the local cricketers - for most of them a dream come true to meet their idol and “the greatest batsman of all time”. 

A little over 15 and a half years ago, Kohli was in a similar situation. A young, exuberant kid brimming with talent, he made people stand up and take notice of his talent in the 2008 U-19 World Cup not just with the bat but as a leader, fuelling India to the title. 

5 months and 16 days after lifting the U-19 World Cup title, Kohli faced his baptism by fire, slotted in to open the batting alongside Gautam Gambhir in place of Virender Sehwag, whose injury forced him out of the contest. 

Kohli’s first ball on India debut took 13 balls to come, and his first boundary followed, 26 balls later. His 22-ball 12 wasn’t laced with the greatness, panache and beauty that is a trademark of the modern-day Kohli, but the trust placed in the youngster was a sign of things to come. 

In an era marked by the greatness of Sachin Tendulkar, who was slowly walking into the evening of his glorious career, the baton needed to be passed. The Indian selectors at that time felt Kohli had it in him to make it big, but that’s what makes great players stand out. Kohli didn’t just feel it too but believed he was going to become an all-time great, and his ambitions were massively backed by his fire in the belly attitude. 

An 86-ball 133 vs Australia in India’s record chase, a mind-boggling 183 vs Pakistan in the Asia Cup, and a maiden Test century at Adelaide in harsh conditions were all just teasers and trailers for the mesmerising movie that is Kohli’s playing career. 

2012 was a year of not just batting brilliance but also of the transformation from a chubby, out-of-control youngster who would eat his way through 40 pieces of candy thrice a week to Kohli the mentality monster, who swapped his obsession for chicken fried rice with peak fitness.

It wasn’t as if his ‘unfit’ characteristic - if you can even call it that - was an impediment to his ability to score truckloads of runs. That was happening irrespective, but it felt more like Kohli wasn’t content with scoring all those runs, he wanted to be more. 

Virat Kohli wanted to be a role model and an inspiration on the cricket field and off it, and if it meant he needed to give up some worldly pleasures like butter chicken, fried rice and his favourite candy to get there, so be it. 

And so began the chapter of Kohli 2.0, one of the greatest transitions ever witnessed in the world of sport. His drive for top-level fitness, high intensity and the “always give more than your 100%” approach was drilled into the Indian cricket team too, highlighted by the results he achieved as captain. 

Under Kohli’s reign, India were invincible, especially in the Test format - continuously winning the Test mace and enjoying their spot at No.1 for five years in a row. Not just that, Kohli demanded the best out of each squad member, an ask that transformed India’s pace battery into one of the most fearsome units across the world, quashing the belief that only spinners thrived in India. Under Kohli, even on the dusty and turning tracks in home conditions, the pacers enjoyed success. 

An ICC trophy might be the only thing missing from Kohli’s glittering cabinet of achievements, but that does very little to blot the career of a man who has not just transformed cricket and its nitty-gritty but has also proved that the marriage of belief and ambition can never be a failed partnership.

As far as the social media aspect is concerned, Kohli has 255 million followers on Instagram and if that figure is not impressive enough - it is 191.05 million more than the total number of followers the remaining 10 players of India’s playing XI from the 1st Test have combined.

Kohli’s 255 million followers is trailed by Indian captain Rohit Sharma, whose 29.3 million followers base is the perfect example of a David vs Goliath comparison. Safe to say, it doesn’t need a hashtag to prove why Kohli is not just an all-time great but an inspiration to millions, cricket-wise or on social media.