Kohli was the face of the new bold and brash India

Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket marks the end of a thunderous era - a reign forged in grit, fire, and audacity.

It closes the chapter on the most transformative figure in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar – perhaps even eclipsing him in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India’s identity. Certainly, there is no other cricketer Australian crowds loved to stir more – ironically, a sign of esteem.

Kohli, the incandescent heart of Indian cricket for more than a decade, did not just score runs. He redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolised the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century. His departure leaves not only a statistical void, but a seismic shift in energy – for there has never been another quite like him.

There was a time when Indian cricket, particularly overseas, bore the air of respectful submission - playing with technical skill, yes, but often with psychological inferiority. That changed in stages. Sourav Ganguly gave it a new spine. MS Dhoni brought ice-cold leadership and white-ball dominance. But Kohli? Kohli lit the fire. He tore the script and authored a new one where India was not just competitive abroad - it expected to win.

He was the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we’ve ever seen – a snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders, or his opposition – but first and foremost, of himself.

The two Test series that define Kohli’s legacy – and indeed his character – came in England and Australia, the most traditional arenas of cricketing greatness.

Virat Kohli blows a kiss to the Australian fans.Credit: Getty Images

In 2014, England exposed a glaring vulnerability. Jimmy Anderson haunted him with late swing, and Kohli’s technique and mindset unravelled. But failure, for Kohli, was fertiliser. He didn’t complain. He rebuilt. He sought out India’s under-19s coach Lalchand Rajput, and worked obsessively to eliminate technical flaws. Tendulkar too lent advice. What emerged four years later was not just a better batsman - it was a better man.

His return to England in 2018 was the stuff of redemption mythology. In the opening Test at Edgbaston, Kohli produced a sublime 149 – forged in defiance, patience, and mastery over conditions that once crippled him. The second-innings half-century was no less valuable. Across five Tests, he amassed 593 runs at 59.3, the leading run-scorer by a long stretch. The ghosts were not only exorcised, they were humiliated.

If England was redemption, Australia in 2018-19 was his coronation. India had never won a Test series in Australia. Kohli, now captain, led a team that believed it could – and did. Though Cheteshwar Pujara was the statistical hero, Kohli’s 123 at Perth on a devilish pitch was an innings for the ages. It was Test cricket in its rawest form – discipline, fight, elegance, and grit. India won 2–1, and in doing so, buried decades of inferiority.

No Indian captain had ever marshalled a team to such commanding overseas dominance. And no batsman since Tendulkar had so unequivocally ruled in every continent.

‘He was the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we’ve ever seen - a snarling warrior in whites.’

Kohli’s greatest innings have been more than runs – they’ve been statements. His 141 in Adelaide (2014), in his first Test as captain, chasing a monumental fourth-innings target, was an early blueprint. The 153 at Centurion (2018), the 200 in West Indies (2016), and the exquisite 254 not out at home against South Africa – each told a different story of his arsenal.

He was a “feel” player, relying on immaculate timing rather than brute strength. Heavy bats didn’t interest him. Instead, he brought a two-handed, almost tennis-like aggression to slower pitches, making straight batted drives look like power strokes from another dimension. He rarely needed innovation – no scoops or reverse sweeps. His genius lay in classical orthodoxy applied with gladiatorial will.

Kohli’s mental preparation was legendary. After every setback – whether personal or professional – he went away and returned harder, leaner, more complete. His father’s death during a Ranji Trophy match in 2006 remains a defining moment. He didn’t withdraw. He batted – and scored 90 in a backs-to-the-wall innings – because that’s what his father would have wanted.

He spoke candidly in later years about visualising hostile conditions, hostile crowds, and hostile spells before every overseas tour. He trained not just his body but his imagination. That is Kohli’s true superpower. Where others reacted, Kohli anticipated. He saw innings before they unfolded. He lived the pressure before it arrived.

Virat Kohli in full flight.Credit: AP

And in the cauldron of global scrutiny – with a billion people watching his every move – Kohli taught himself to breathe. As he once said: “If I focus on all that, I can’t breathe. I have to focus on what I can do.”

Kohli burst onto the scene as a brash, chest-thumping under-19s World Cup-winning captain in 2008. Some wondered whether the strut outpaced the substance. He made mistakes, no doubt. But when the wake-up call came – particularly after a dip in discipline and lifestyle early in his career – he turned brutally honest with himself. He revamped everything: diet, training, mindset.

In doing so, Kohli became the blueprint for the modern Indian cricketer – relentlessly professional, obsessively fit, and mentally ironclad.

His evolution mirrored that of India itself – no longer content to play the supporting act. Confident, global, yet deeply connected to its roots. His global stardom ran parallel to the rise of the IPL, yet he never let the glitz distract from his Test ambitions. He made white-ball cricket his domain without sacrificing a drop of red-ball purity.

Yes, Tendulkar was a genius. Yes, Dhoni was a master tactician and an ice-cold finisher. But in the grand reckoning of Indian cricket history, Kohli has been its most influential figure.

Why? Because he changed not just results, but mindsets.

He demanded excellence. He made fast bowling India’s weapon. He backed his bowlers, he stood up to bullies, and he never played for second place. He wanted Test cricket to thrive and knew that for India to be respected, it must dominate the hardest format.

His public defence of Steve Smith during the 2019 World Cup – urging Indian fans to stop booing – was a statesman’s act. The hot-headed kid had become cricket’s conscience.

Virat Kohli poses with the Border-Gavaskar trophy in 2019.Credit: Getty Images

As Kohli exits the Test arena, he leaves behind not just a glittering record – more than 8000 runs, 30 centuries, historic wins overseas – but a blueprint for how to play the game with heart, with hunger, and with unyielding pride.

He was polarising, yes. But so is every revolutionary.

He walked with a swagger, was demonstrative on the field, and occasionally played hard. And in doing so, he became the icon of an India no longer content to play supporting roles. He was a beacon to Indians everywhere – a cricketing colossus from the subcontinent striding across Lord’s, Adelaide, Centurion and Kolkata with the same fearless heartbeat.

In every sense of the word, King Kohli reigned – and his influence will be felt long after the roar has faded.

All hail the King. And thank you, Virat – for making us believe that domination and dignity could walk together.

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