Virat Kohli turns 34: What can we learn from the King—and what shouldn't we—and why?

Virat Kohli turns 34, and he has already given us more than double his age in reasons to love, respect, admire, criticize (at times), and idolize him. With so many incredible achievements against his name on and off the cricket pitch already and many more to come (touchwood) in the near future, Virat Kohli stands as a synonym for words like icon, trendsetter, and phenomenon.

Yes, he is a phenomenon, and I don't say that because of his cricket achievements. It is more due to his ability and capacity to understand the needs of changing times and adjust himself to get the best out of himself, even as he turns 34 today.

Think about it: even in our day-to-day lives or in our jobs, we aren't well equipped or prepared to overcome the mental barrier of unlearning old things to learn new skills. Here's a man who faced severe criticism even after scoring half-centuries in the last three years, from the former greats to the cricket writers and senior journalists. Why? It was because of the standards he had set for himself and his commitment to continuously raising the bar that he entered the league of legends. When someone is so good at what they do, people tend to take them for granted. That's exactly what happened to Virat.

When the runs weren't coming, he didn't panic, and neither did the selectors or the team management. Though his legion of fans plunged into sadness every time they saw Virat lose his wicket cheaply or not score those hundreds, which he once had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, especially after passing the half-century mark.

For others, a half-century is an important milestone, but for Kohli's fans, it was as good as a zero, unless he goes on to make a big one and convert them into a three-figure mark. That's some serious pressure. Can you imagine a life similar to Kohli's, day in and day out? Can a salesperson, no matter how experienced he or she is, deliver 1,000 sales per week right through the year? Sounds unrealistic, right? Then, why does one have such high expectations for Kohli to perform every single day of his life? Not because he is playing a sport that is so close to every Indian cricket fan's heart. Not because he is under constant media scrutiny and every low score of his is discussed in Indian households, streets, public and private offices, and parks.

Even when Kohli was going through a bad phase, not for once did he come out in the media and complain about the mistreatment by his fans or alleged BCCI members. The reason is that's not what champions do. They focus on bettering themselves rather than listening to people who play no role in their lives.

With age comes maturity, and one tends to see the world through a different lens altogether. Virat Kohli did exactly that. He took a well-deserved break from cricket before the Asia Cup in the UAE, recharged his batteries, and since then hasn't looked back. Keep the numbers apart, as according to the great MS Dhoni, it is just a byproduct of the process one follows. Virat has looked calmer, more self-assured, and at peace with himself. During his recent interviews, he constantly talks about the healthy space in which he finds himself, both within the team and outside with his wife, Anushka Sharma, and daughter, Vamika.

He is not worried about anything else other than making runs for the team and winning matches, again a habit that the whole of India has become so used to in the last 15 years. He has always been a fighter, a trait that he displayed when no one heard about him after he lost his father. Much has been written and spoken about the story in the media and amongst the general public, but not much has been learned from it, especially by the younger generation.

Even at that young age, Virat epitomized the true meaning of the word "commitment," putting his team above personal loss. Most likely, he was burning inside every second, with emotions overpowering his ability to think and act. Even at that age, he had the mental toughness to do what was right for the team, which proves that he was destined for greatness and that he was cut from a different cloth.

He carried the same attitude on the cricket pitch, wearing his heart on his sleeve, and it was only a matter of time before he conquered the world. The cricketing world was at his feet, but he refused to slow down and continued to make improvements in his game. While the opposition tried finding chinks in his armory, Kohli was busy smashing them all over the park and around the world. He was always a couple of steps ahead of the opposition bowlers, and that's what makes him a complete batsman of this generation, across formats. There will be many who will be better than him in terms of skill sets, but there are very few in the world who come close to executing their plans as well as Kohli does.

For me, that's the sign of greatness and a genius whose ultimate objective is to strive for improvement and never rest on his past laurels. How many of us enjoyed Kohli's masterclass against Pakistan at the MCG in Melbourne at the start of the T20 World Cup in Australia? The follow-up question is: how much time did it take for you as a fan to come out of the Kohli madness that stunned the men in green? Forget anyone else; even the other teams were stunned and in awe of Kohli. Pakistan looked jaded in their next encounter against Zimbabwe and lost the match by one run.

On the flip side, look at Virat Kohli. Even though he might have recovered physically after that epic knock against Pakistan, he looked as fresh mentally in his next match against the Netherlands, again in which he scored a half-century. That's called exceptional control of one's mind over his body.

Sports can be a great teacher as well. When one is doing well, the world is at your feet, but when one is not, it comes to bite on the backside. Virat Kohli has literally seen both sides of the coin from a very close distance. Maybe that's the reason why he has become a lot more relaxed in his approach, though the fire to compete still burns in him, giving no edge to the opposition on the cricket pitch.

What one can learn from Virat Kohli is to stay committed to your passion, prepare well, embrace failure like you enjoy success, and give 100 percent no matter how many odds are stacked against you.

After the hundred against Afghanistan during the Asia Cup in the UAE, Kohli conceded that with age, he is not expected to let his emotions get the better of him and that over-the-top celebrations are a thing of the past.

Well, all one can say is that Kohli without emotions is like a brand-new Mercedes parked in a garage without fuel in the tank. Kohli's emotions drive the mood of millions of cricket fans, not just in India but around the world.

Happy birthday, Virat Kohli!

Wish you a wonderful year ahead!

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