Kohli said that thinks about how he could have given a nice retired life to his father, something he deserved.
During an Instagram live chat show Eleven on Ten hosted by Sunil Chhetri, Kohli recounted an incident when his upright father refused to pay a bribe to ensure Virat’s selection in a team.
“In my home State (Delhi), sometimes things happen which are not fair. On one occasion, a certain someone did not play by the rules when it came to selection criteria," said Kohli.
Virat Kohli reveals the "only thing" that keeps coming to his mind and heart regularly
“He told my father that while I had the merit to be selected, a little extra (possibly a bribe) was needed to confirm my selection. My father — an honest middle-class man who had worked hard all his life to become a successful lawyer — did not even understand what ‘little extra’ meant. My father simply said, ‘If you want to select Virat, then let it be purely on merit. I will give you nothing extra’,” he further added.
Virat Kohli revealed that he learned a big lesson that day, despite the disappointment of not being selected in the team.
“I didn’t get selected. I cried a lot; I was broken. But that incident taught me a lot. I realized that I had to be extraordinary to become successful and that I had to achieve this purely through my own effort and hard work. My father showed me the right way, through action and not merely words,” said Kohli.
Virat also shared with Chhetri that his father’s untimely demise made him become extra motivated to get success in what he was pursuing.
“I accepted his death, as I was focused on moving forward with my career. In fact, I went and batted in a Ranji Trophy match the day after he died. His death made me realize that I had to make something of my life. I think about how nice it would be if I could have given my father the peaceful retired life that he deserved. At times, I get emotional thinking about him,” Kohli said.