• Source:JND
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Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has seen Virat Kohli's cricketing journey very closely, and the duo shared some memorable moments together over the years.

Both Dhawan and Virat played their cricket for Delhi and were part of the Indian cricket team, forming one of the most lethal top-order trios alongside Rohit Sharma. Dhawan has made an interesting revelation on Virat Kohli, recalling how the former Indian captain transformed himself from a soft-spoken youngster into one of the most disciplined cricketers in modern times.

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While talking about his first meeting with Virat during his teenage days, Dhawan said: “When Virat was young, around 16–17 years old, he was a bit soft-spoken. Since I was the senior, he spent time with me. At that time, he was focused on food, but once on the field, he only wanted to score runs. He had a clear idea of his game and was always hungry for success,” Dhawan said on Raj Shamani's podcast.

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Dhawan went on to mention that the tragic loss of Virat's father became a turning point in shaping his career and passion for the game. “Unfortunately, when his father passed away, his zeal was already there, but his seriousness increased even more. I clearly remember the match when he came to play on the very day his father died and scored 95 runs. After that, he never looked back," he added.

Dhawan also came up with an explanation on Kohli’s unwavering discipline, which he believes set him apart from the very beginning. "The discipline that Virat adopted helped him elevate himself very quickly.

Even 10–15 years ago, he was already very disciplined and inspiring. Now, when I've become more disciplined myself, I realise that Virat has always been like that from the start," Dhawan noted.

Kohli’s fitness transformation, Dhawan said, was a game-changer. "He has a strong mindset. Even if he gets out early, he immediately thinks about the next century. At first, he was a bit soft, but then he removed all the carbs, became very lean, and worked on his fitness. I feel he looked up to Cristiano Ronaldo and learned from him, adopting a similar lifestyle. His performance graph kept rising steadily," he explained.

"His discipline became very strong, with controlled eating, a positive mindset, and rigorous fitness. He worked a lot on mobility and power exercises, used the gym regularly, and kept enhancing himself. Of course, luck plays a part, but you must have both talent and discipline—and Virat combined both talent and discipline—and Virat combined both beautifully," Dhawan said.