During the event, Kohli acknowledged his unfamiliarity with speaking at school functions but expressed a strong connection with the audience, having once been in their position. He reflected on his journey, noting that he shifted his priorities early by committing to a career in cricket.

Kohli said.

He emphasized the importance of the school environment, stating, “What I want to say is, a school is a place where you come to learn, you come to grow, you become better people.”

Kohli highlighted the crucial role of educators, noting their dedication in shaping students’ character and skills. “Have respect and respect for that environment first. For your teachers, for the people who are teaching you. They are giving you a part of their lives. It’s very important to give them that respect and the focus and attention that’s required,” he said.

Sharing his own life choices, Kohli spoke about selecting sport early in life and the necessity of clarity and honesty in pursuing one’s goals. “I chose sport very early on in my life, but that came from a very honest place. I was very sure that I wanted to go ahead and pursue cricket, and I had to be honest with myself, my family, and also my teachers to convey to them that this is the path I want to take,” he added.

He advised students to be self-aware and fully committed to their ambitions: “Be honest with your dreams, about what you want to do and follow that dream with absolute commitment.

Kohli recalled his long association with the academy, which began when he was eight years old. “I started practicing when I was eight years old, and I still continue to come to the academy whenever I get time. And it’s a big part of my childhood, and I hope all the kids that come to learn cricket here can value it, can learn something from the academy. And I hope it does wonders for the school, the cricket setup here as well. So, I wish everyone all the very best,” he concluded.

On Monday, Kohli became the first player to reach 9,000 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL), achieving the milestone during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) away match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, where his cricket journey began.

RCB opted to field first, with strong bowling performances from Josh Hazlewood (4/12) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (3/5) restricting DC to 75 runs in 16.3 overs. Despite resistance from Abishek Porel (30) and David Miller (19), RCB’s batting lineup responded aggressively.

Jacob Bethell scored 20 runs off 10 balls, including a four and two sixes, Devdutt Padikkal made an unbeaten 34 off 13 balls with three fours and three sixes, and Virat Kohli remained not out on 25 off 13 balls with a four and two sixes, sealing the chase in 6.3 overs.

This victory marked RCB’s sixth win in eight matches, putting them second in the points table with 12 points. The defeat was DC’s fifth in eight matches, leaving them seventh in the standings with three wins.