Virat Kohli: England pacer Steve Finn shows us a different side

Dubai: From teenage duels to shirt swaps and nightclub dance floors, the former England pacer Steven Finn reflects on the Indian legend’s journey

Long before he became the face of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli was a fiery teenager trading shots and smiles with a young Steve Finn in England’s age-group matches. Nearly two decades on, the English pacer reflects on their many encounters — from shirt swaps and Test battles to witnessing Kohli reshape India’s cricket culture.

Writing in his BBC column, Finn recalled their first meeting in an Under-19 series in 2006. Kohli was just 17, but already a cut above the rest.

“Even then, as a youngster a far cry from the supreme athlete he turned into, the competitiveness and fire that has characterised Kohli’s career shone brightly,” Finn wrote.

Kohli made a century in the opening match at Canterbury, peppering midwicket and cover with those now-familiar drives. But it wasn’t just the runs that stood out — it was the intensity.

“Some players are there to score their runs and move on. Not Kohli. He was there to win,” Finn said.

That burning desire would define Kohli’s career. Their paths crossed again at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, where Finn found himself dancing near Kohli at a nightclub. “These days he’d need too much security to be in a place like that,” he joked.

Over the years, the battles intensified. Finn remembers the challenge of bowling to Kohli — never giving too much away, never backing down too far.

“If you bowled too full, he could punish you on both sides. Drop short and he played off the back foot just as well. You knew you couldn’t miss.”

But amid the fire, there was also respect — and even a touch of cricket badgerism.

After an ODI in Dharamsala in 2013, the two swapped shirts. A year later, Finn asked Kohli to sign the Indian jersey — a request he honoured, addressing it simply: “To Steve.” That, Finn says, is a name only his mum uses. “Funnily enough, Kohli didn’t ask me to sign his Finn shirt,” he laughed.

Beyond the personal anecdotes, Finn acknowledged Kohli’s immense impact on Indian cricket. From transforming fitness culture to inspiring crowds across the world, Kohli didn’t just lead — he raised the bar.

“Hotel gyms had become boutiques to Kohli’s fitness regime,” Finn noted, remembering how the 2016 England tour felt different. “There were Olympic lifting bars, weights, an on-call fitness trainer. We were dealing with a very different India team.”

Kohli’s Test numbers may not match every member of the Fab Four, but Finn argues his contribution goes far beyond stats.

“He could have walked away from the grind. But he understood that a cricketer’s legacy is shaped in the longest format,” Finn added. “What he has done for Test cricket is going to be difficult for the next generation to live up to.”

In the end, Finn didn’t get to call Kohli a teammate. But he saw enough — from teenage fire to grown-up grit — to recognise a once-in-a-generation cricketer. Polite, intense and unforgettable.