Dear Virat Kohli,

(Because you hate it when strangers call you Cheeku, and after all I'm a stranger)

50 centuries in One Day Internationals and 80 overall centuries in International Cricket, just speechless. Proud to be a witness to this History in making.

The earliest memory I have of you is not from your first match, not even the World Cup Final of 2011, instead its not related to cricket itself.

The Moment that I recognised that you were Virat Kohli is when you appeared on Comedy Nights with Kapil Sharma Show. The reason I watched that episode was because my friends were gushing about your looks and your personality.

Girls in my class had a crush on you and boys in my class spoke about your batting style, your looks and that god-awful hairstyle as well. I used to lie when asked about favourite cricketer. I used to take your name though I had watched only a handful of matches.

I used to take your name in the debates of Virat vs Dhoni, not understanding that MahiRat is the way to go. 

The earliest cricketing memory I have of you is the one where you and AB Devillers scored a ton against Gujrat Lions in the green jersey. The way you scored 973 runs in a single season and yet failed to win that damned trophy is heartbreaking.

IPL has always been supporting RCB and its captain who would aggressively celebrate each wicket and put on that sad smile when we eventually lose. 

I gave up watching IPL after that god-awful match against KKR where RCB was bundled out for 49. The next two seasons of IPL proved why Cricket is a team sport and requires 11 players contribution to win matches and tournaments.

Watched you in that blue jersey only in ICC tournaments and that too only in semi finals and finals. Sufficient to say its been a heartbreaking journey. 

2017 Champions Trophy and the defeat against India's arch rival Pakistan in finals, made me give up International Cricket as well. 

Then came the 2019 World Cup where I admit I didn't watch every single match. It was my bad luck that the only match I watched from start to finish was the Semi Final against New Zealand. That 45 minutes of bad cricket made me give up watching cricket altogether.

.

Lockdown came and went, IPL came and went, the came the BGT series against Australia in Australia in 2020-21.

India was bundled out for 36 runs and you were coming back to India. You were criticized for leaving your team in the time of need and what not. Twitter and Instagram had tons to say about your decision.

I remember people criticizing you because you wanted to be there for the birth of your first child. Sending out threats against your wife and daughter. Calling your child, a bad luck even before she was born.

I couldn't understand why people were criticizing you so badly. Cricket at the end of the is your job. If men can take paternity leave in any other field, then why not Cricket?

Then came the video that RCB page posted in September of 2021, about you leaving the captaincy. Since the time I could remember, RCB had only one captain and that was you. Was in disbelief over that news when it was announced that you won't be captaining India anymore.

My nickname for you was Captain. I used to not call you Virat, or Kohli or anything else, just Captain. Would tune in to watch Captain play. Would not like to hear anything against you from my own family. Used to shush people saying "That's Indian Captain playing" And now you had given up captaincy? 

2022 started and the critics started going on long discussions on your form, your place in the team, and how you have become a liability for team India. It became a norm to wake up to memes, posts, articles, news channel debates about how Virat Kohli is finished.

I admit, finally I went back and watched matches where you performed brilliantly and took India over the line. If the critics were to be believed, you shouldn't even be allowed to hold the bat in your hand and had to make way for youngsters to take your place. 

Saw interviews where you don't speak much on the topic of leaving captaincy and your form yet, your eyes told a different story. If watching you like this was difficult for me, cannot even imagine what you were going through. Just glad that you didn't give up on this sport altogether. 

Then came 8th September 202. You scored the much awaited 71st Century and 1st ever T20I Century. I remember screaming and crying with a smile. That smile that you had while the ball went for a Six gotta be my favourite.

Who can ever forget the India vs Pakistan 2022 match on October 23rd? You not only pulled the match back but also gave Indians a new core memory. If our previous generations spoke about 83 World Cup and 2011 World Cup, we would be telling our kids about an out of form player, one who got trolled for 0 zero IPL trophies, who was called the Failed Captain, making India win from 31-4.

That 82* is going to be my favourite Cricketing memory for years to come.

Enough of my blabbering.

50th Century in Wankhede Stadium, in front of your wife, and your hero. Dinesh Karthik in the match against South Africa said that this is the guy who writes his own scripts. And looking at the events, he wasn't wrong.

On 2nd November, on the match against Sri Lanka, you got out on 88 and I remember being sad and thinking about the unfairness of the situation. that according to me was the perfect situation to equal the records of your idol. Sachin Tendulkar was in the stands and could there have be a more wonderful opportunity? 

God works in mysterious ways. Whoever said this was 101% right.

That knock against South Africa on your own birthday, on the ground where your team had been bundled out for 49, getting the 49th century was just icing on the cake. 

Knowing your tendency in this world cup to get out in 80s or 90s, I didn't hope for much but for India to not lose a wicket.

Even when you reached your 90s I wasn't convinced that we will witness the 50th Century. But if there is anything you love more than your family, and cricket is to make us silent watching your bat do the talking.

People who call you selfish and a stat padder, need to realise that you are the one playing for India and making us proud, when they sit behind mobile screens.

I remember going ohhh when you fell down while taking a run. The fan's reaction on screen was my reaction as well. You stood up and smiled. That was the moment I realised why I like you so much. It not because you score centuries, or because you are good looking, or because you play for RCB. But it is because you don't give up.

People saying that you won't be scoring a century in this pitch, you score a century in the same pitch and give that iconic celebration. People saying that your wife is bad luck and you fail to score big in front of her, you score your 50th century in front of her and give us another iconic celebration.

Even yesterday, you played with cramps, that heat and yet you didn't give up. People may underestimate the importance of running between the wickets but you never fail to remind us the importance rotating the strike without hitting big shots.

People may feel that you are selfish and are playing for your milestone, and you take singles and doubles when you have tried hitting the boundary. And yet, every match you continue to play in way that would be benefitable to the team with the goal of making team India win.

Here's to hoping that I get to witness your 100th century Live.

Sincerely,

Your Crazy Fan

(who is still crying looking at the edits of 50th ODI century)

No Words to describe the emotions that I had when I saw this celebration.