It takes a lot to fill Virender Sehwag’s shoes. If you’re a couple of months short of turning 20, have just about begun wearing the India cap, and first faced a seasoned bowler when Viru was already busy thumping the best in the world, perhaps it’s asking for too much.

It’s hard to imagine what could’ve been running in the mind of a young Virat Kohli when he was asked to walk out with Gautam Gambhir to open in the first one-dayer against Sri Lanka. As he faced 22 balls, struck a boundary, scored 12 runs and then lost his wicket to Nuwan Kulasekara — all in less than 25 minutes — Kohli first experienced what pressure meant at the highest level.

“My father passed away when I was 18 and it was a shock that I’m yet to get over. But it did make me a lot tougher mentally. Today, being able to cope with pressure is a way of life,” he says. The 94 he scored for Delhi on the day his father passed away, and numerous innings of significance at the India A level, have all brought him to the point from where every emerging cricketer begins to focus on the big leap.

Starting early

“There is always pressure and you need to deal with it. I have always believed in my ability,” says Kohli. No wonder then, that making his debut against the Lankans in their own backyard in place of an injured Sehwag didn’t worry Kohli as much as it could have. What came to fore in the series was his positive approach and the confidence that made him look comfortable.

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