Legends are not born but made on the field, and Virat Kohli is the perfect example of greatness. The chips were down with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill back in the dressing room while chasing 265 runs against a confident Australia side in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semifinal. This is when Virat rose to the occasion and played another gem of an innings in the fifty-over format. The veteran needed to stay till the end, and he almost did, scoring 84 runs off 98 balls to take India to the fifth final in the tournament’s history.
He focused on stitching partnerships with fellow batters and achieved it in a big contest. The 36-year-old was not in form coming into the Champions Trophy and even failed in the first game with Bangladesh. The criticism grew louder, with predictions about the end of his career coming thick and fast.
However, he defied all the odds and scored a hundred against Pakistan to signal his return to form. In the next game against New Zealand, Kohli again fell cheaply, raising questions about his consistency. The champion batter gave another befitting reply. Navjot Singh Sidhu never doubted his quality as a batter and poured his heart out for the star cricketer after the match against the Steve Smith-led team.
“Slap on the face of those who doubted Virat Kohli. I have always supported him and the players like Babar Azam. Credit to Virat and Rahul for adding several match-winners to the Indian team. This team is looking invincible,” he said.
“People have scored many runs in ODIs, but how many matches have they won? Win is more important than milestones, and this is where Virat is ahead of everyone. He would walk on the glass for his country, such is his commitment. Kohli was born to spread joy, and I can walk barefoot for 100 km to watch him bat,” he added.
