Virat Kohli, the charismatic captain of the Indian cricket team turns 33 today. Ever since making his debut in 2008, the right-hander has only gone from strength to strength and now, a decade later, he stands as one of the biggest titans in international cricket and undoubtedly, one of the best in the business. Known to be a fierce competitor on the field, Kohli has also been about class and respect. No matter how passionate or competitive he can become while playing, the national team captain always maintained high standards of sportsmanship, something that many youngsters in India and the world, who look up to him as an idol, can watch and learn from. Virat Kohli Slams Trolls For Targeting Mohammad Shami After IND vs PAK, T20 World Cup Match, Says 'Attacking Someone Over Religion Is Most Pathetic'

On his 33rd birthday, let us revisit the top five acts of genuine class and sportsmanship shown by Kohli on the field, which would go down as an example.

1) Hugging Mohammad Rizwan after India vs Pakistan match at T20 World Cup 2021

India were completely outplayed in a much-anticipated encounter and needless to mention, all Indian fans were incredibly sad and upset for losing to Pakistan for the very first time in World Cup history. However, Kohli once again showed why it is important to be gracious in defeat and acknowledge the opposition. Following the 10-wicket loss last month, Kohli was seen walking up to Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan and congratulating him and opposition skipper Babar Azam for batting so well and winning the match. These pictures have gone viral on social media with many applauding the Indian skipper for his show of sportsmanship.

See some pictures here:

 

2) Don't Boo Smith!

Cricket fans all over the globe would be well aware of the infamous sandpaper gate scandal that rocked Australian cricket. A 12-month ban on Steve Smith and David Warner followed. Smith returned to action for Australia in the 2019 World Cup in England and during the match against India, fans at the stadium booed the former Aussie skipper and Virat Kohli once again showed why sportsmanship is so important as he gestured towards the crowd to stop and instead asked them to cheer. This incident on the field was a warm one as it won many hearts all over and even Smith, humbled by this act, walked up to Kohli and shook his hands.

See the video here:

3) Captain Kohli to The Rescue:

This time, it was in India and Kohli was leading the Test side against England in Chennai earlier this year. Opposition skipper Joe Root had scored a century but the long innings got the better of his body as he started having cramps. He eventually fell onto the field after a shot and Kohli was quick to run to him and help him out. Root appreciated that gesture in the press conference and it showed that competitiveness and sportsmanship could co-exist beautifully in the sport.

Watch the video here: 

4) Checking on Wahab Riaz:

This happened during the 2019 World Cup in England. India, having beaten Australia, were full of confidence and Kohli was batting alongside Rohit Sharma against Pakistan. The incident happened when Pakistan bowler Wahab Riaz bowled, slipped and then fell down. Kohli, while completing a run, checked on Wahab Riaz if he was fine and placed a hand on his shoulder while doing so. India won that match and that moment turned out to be one of the best in that competition.

Take a look at the picture here: 

5) Calling out Indian Physio to Check on Bangladesh Player:

The first pink-ball Test in India was raging on in full flow and a steaming bouncer from Mohammad Shami struck Bangladesh batter Nayeem Hasan with the latter getting hit on the helmet. With the Bangladesh physio busy attending to another player who too was injured, Kohli signalled to the Indian dressing room for sending out their physio, who in turn checked on Hasan after the blow. This moment might have gotten unnoticed but Kohli ensured he did his part and play the gentleman's sport as a true gentleman.

See the video here: 

The above five incidents prove why Kohli would always go down in cricket history as being the one-of-a-kind-feisty player with a blend of competitiveness and sportsmanship. Well, he is just 33 and with some more years left in the tank for him, one can assure that there are going to be more additions to this list!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 05, 2021 12:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).