Sachin Tendulkar Made My Childhood Special, Virat Kohli Rules My Heart Now

"He has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years. It is time we carried him on our shoulders." In 2011, a young Virat Kohli won the hearts of the whole country when he carried his icon Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders after India's World Cup win at the Wankhede.

Twelve years later, on his 35th birthday, a more calmer and mature Virat Kohli, after equaling his childhood hero's record of 49 ODI hundreds, the Chase Master won my heart all over again.

"It's a huge honor to equal my hero's record. He's perfect with the bat. It's an emotional moment. I know the days I come from; I know the days I have watched him on TV. To receive appreciation from him means a lot to me," Kohli said in the post-match interview against South Africa at Eden Gardens.

Kohli might not be a genius with words like he is with the bat on the pitch, but he certainly makes the most eye-catching statements at the right time to enter the hearts and minds of cricket fans all around the world.

In India, there is a tradition of respecting your elders. Sachin Tendulkar continues to be the pinnacle for millions of cricket lovers in the country, and Virat Kohli happens to be just one of them, even after standing toe-to-toe with the great man. An extraordinary cricketer, a genius with the bat, has now turned into an emotion for me.

Tap here to know Sachin's response post-Virat Kohli's 49th ODI hundred.

From Master Blaster to Modern-Day Master

Like plenty of young cricket fans of the early 1990s, Indian cricket to me back then was limited to only Sachin Tendulkar. As much as this statement shows my lack of belief in the remaining ten cricketers representing the national team, it also tells everyone the stature of the Master Blaster in the eyes of the whole nation.

Every time Tendulkar scored a hundred, the whole nation celebrated it like it was made by someone like you and me. On the contrary, his every failure brought tears to my eyes because we knew it was all over before it was over.

Tendulkar's retirement in 2013 made me emotional. After all, he was the reason behind every special cricket childhood memory I carry to date. He made me believe that the impossible was nothing. It took me close to a week to come out of the shock that my hero wouldn't be picking up the cricket bat again.

Then came Virat Kohli, and the rest, they say, is history.

Virat Kohli: The Man, the Myth, and the Legend

Every generation has its hero, like for me, Sachin Tendulkar. But then, who is after him? I still remember the day during the summer of 2012, when the Master Blaster nominated Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as the ones to break his records.

By then, Kohli had already scored 11 ODI hundreds. He was clearly the torchbearer for Tendulkar's legacy. However, looking at the mountain of hundreds he had to climb, I had reservations about whether he would reach the milestone or not.

Today, when he has achieved the same, let me join the bandwagon of millions and millions of cricket fans in India and around the world to congratulate Virat Kohli on equaling one of Tendulkar's impossible-looking records, at least a decade or so earlier.

More than the record, I am simply blown away by the hunger, the drive, the passion, and the commitment Virat Kohli has shown on his way to 49 ODI hundreds. I guess that's what separates the greats from the rest.

Life comes full circle for King Kohli

Virat Kohli couldn't have timed his knock any better. On his 35th birthday, at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, Kohli was writing his own script. The wicket wasn't an easy one to bat on, but that's what champions do. They challenge themselves to do their best when the conditions aren't in their favor.

Ironically, the record-equalling ton came at the same venue. It was here, in the City of Joy, that Virat Kohli scored his first international hundred against Sri Lanka in December 2009. A lot has changed since then, but one thing that hasn't changed is Kohli's habit of scoring hundreds. Barring his debut season in 2008 and the two quiet years between 2020 and 2021, there hasn't been a year that has gone by where Kohli hasn't raised his bat after reaching a three-figure mark in ODIs. If that's not greatness, I don't know what it stands for.

One should also not forget that he also has 29 Test tons and one hundred in T20Is. So, it is not just the one format that he has simply scored in; he has arguably been the most complete batsman across three formats, unlike many other great players on the opposition teams.

What's next for Virat Kohli?

Former Indian all-rounder Yuvraj Singh mentioned in a recent podcast that it is lonely at the top, with everyone chasing you and trying to pull you down. Virat Kohli has been in that position ever since Tendulkar passed the baton to him a decade ago.

One cannot even fathom the amount of pressure on his shoulders every time he goes out to bat. Credit goes to Virat; he has done exceptionally well. He was never the most talented batsman around, but he has shown the world what hard work, dedication, commitment, and discipline can help you achieve in your career.

As is the case in India, everyone is a cricket expert. From a 4-year-old kid to a 50-plus veteran, every fan has something or another to say to the ones who are representing the country. It is surreal to keep everyone happy, but Kohli, more often than not, has been able to do that in the last 15 years.

Like former Indian opener, Virender Sehwag had said about Kohli, Jaha Mamle Bade Hote Hain, Waha Kohli Khade Hote Hain

Indian cricket has been blessed to witness so many splendid cricketers in the past. However, there have been very few of them who have managed to impact the lives of fans during their playing days. Virat Kohli is proudly sitting on the list, and the worst part for the opposition is that he is not done yet.

It was hard to see Kohli, the captain, fade away sooner than expected, but Kohli, the batsman, continues to evolve with every passing game. He is all but 35 and has some splendid years ahead of him.

The next big record on Kohli's radar, or, should one say, on his fans' radar, would be Master Blaster's record of 100 International Hundreds. A more youthful Kohli would have approached this milestone with a lot of aggression, but a 35-year-old Kohli would rather keep all the talk to himself and believe in the processes that have helped him achieve some jaw-dropping milestones during his cricket career.

Indian cricket fans would be hoping for Kohli to go past the record of Sachin's ODI hundreds at the earliest, to give fans like you and me another reason to celebrate the genius of the man.

What a cricketer!

Also read: CWC 2023: Virat Kohli, The 'Selfish' Cricketer Team India Needs to Recreate 2011 Magic

(The author is an expert in cricket and has worked as a sports writer for broadcast and multimedia platforms for nearly a decade.)