All he needs now is a cape to make it official. Virat Kohli is Superman.
But Superman can't play cricket...so that makes our Virat a Super-Duper Man. A larger than life superhero, who knows the power of his bat. But more importantly, he knows the power of humility.
When he bowed deeply to acknowledge Sachin Tendulkar's presence in the stands after his dramatic half-century during the India-Pakistan match, it was obvious to the nearly 60,000 fans present in Eden Garden that this was one of cricket's finest moments - a genuine and rare gesture from one great sportsman to another. I am not sure whether such a public tribute has ever been paid by any sports personality, here or internationally, with millions of fans across the world watching the touching exchange on their television screens. With that humble bow, Virat Kohli has found a permanent place in the hearts of cricket lovers for years to come. What makes his gesture so special? How about this? We live in ego-driven me, me, me times. Nobody acknowledges the role of a mentor,
guru, role model. It's all about individual achievement... personal glory. Then along comes Virat with that bow...
Virat Kohli dedicates his Eden knock vs Pakistan to Sachin Tendulkar
Kohli is obviously an emotional man who has no problems demonstrating his feelings - upfront and in the presence of countless admirers. In the past, he has blown kisses from the crease to his then girlfriend, Anushka Sharma. And not shied away from indulging in PDA with her at airports and events. Young India stamped its approval on Virat Kohli, on and off the field for this very reason. Here was a good-looking, intense, dynamic cricketer who wore his heart on his sleeve with his lady love, and gave as good as he got to rivals and critics when needed.
Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was in the stands cheering for the team with his wife, the Ambanis and Amitabh Bachchan.
For one so young (Sachin Tendulkar reminded us of his age when he said Virat was a toddler when he himself was playing for India!), Virat has demonstrated not just his capability as a cricketer par excellence, but also his high levels of maturity while under pressure (Sachin made a reference to it after the thrilling win). This maturity has seen him address his recent romantic break-up with dignity and restraint. Most importantly, he never allowed his personal life to interfere with his game - wisely choosing to ignore all those foolish jibes about Anushka's "bad influence" on his professional life.
Virat Kohli and his then girlfriend Anushka Sharma at the Royal Challengers-Delhi Daredevils IPL match in Bangalore last year
Virat is gracious enough, modest enough, to acknowledge the immense influence Sachin has had in his life. He readily shared that feeling with fans when he stated, "I have seen Sachin
Paaji do that for India for years together and seen how people shout for him. I have gotten the chance to do it in front of him...as a youngster who has grown up playing cricket because of him, I am very grateful..."
Virat Kohli is truly a "
changa puttar". If the current hit song "Ladki Beautiful" from Kapoor & Sons, featuring the delightful Alia Bhatt, is ever remixed and performed as a homage to a guy, that man would have to be Virat Kohli. When Sachin Tendulkar reciprocated Virat's magnanimous gesture with a spontaneous thumbs up sign, perhaps without realising it at that moment, India's numero uno batting legend had anointed Virat Kohli his legitimate successor in the annals of cricket.
And that jaunty thumbs up from Sachin was also a thumbs up on behalf of a billion-plus Indians.
Thank you, Virat Kohli for making our hearts go
dhak dhak...don't stop!
(Shobhaa De is an established writer, columnist, opinion shaper and social commentator, who is considered an authority on popular culture.)Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.