How Virat Kohli is making every Indian girl fall in love with cricket

 It's very easy for Virat Kohli to come off as brash, or even cocky, given a fair chance. In fact, besides the bad-boy image he was used to cashing in on, Kohli had little to offer women fans the world over, but that was a little before the ongoing cricket T20 world cup.

ICC World Twenty20 has been a game-changer for his image, though. And now that India is through to the semis, it's safe to write about how Virat Kohli is slowly charming his way into our TV screens, even on a girls' night in.

1. After last night, he might as well wear a cape
Because... Why not? They're calling him the "best chaser" out there (though, quite frankly, we'd like to be chased by him), and he's being humble about it, when asked about his performance in the Ind Vs Aus match, "It certainly has to be in the top three. Probably the top right now, because I'm a bit emotional, so I would like to put this on top... There's a lot riding on us in this World Cup, we are playing at home and the crowds want to see us and we just want to give them as much entertainment and fun as possible."

2. By letting fans know 'India' comes before 'Virat'
Who wouldn't get a kick out of hearing people scream his/her name in front of 65,000 people? Well, not Virat. He'd rather that fans yell "India, India" instead of "Virat, Virat!". Don't believe us? Watch.

3. By emerging stronger than ever, after his break-up
Break-ups happen. If two people get together, the probability of them parting ways is only as high or low as the probability of them staying together. Yes, even for celebrities.

While we don't know what went down between him and Anushka Sharma--and quite frankly, we're not one to give into gossip (oh, the irony!)--we know Virat is not going to keep harping on the negative side of it or feel sorry for himself. With his latest bout of kicka** performances, we might as well play Destiny Child's *Survivor* as the soundtrack for his current life phase.

4. While the world is busy comparing him with Tendulkar, the boy knows his place in the world
After the epic win over Pakistan on March 19 in Kolkata, cricket analysts the world over started comparing Mr Kohli to Mr Tendulkar. But what did Mr Kohli do? He went ahead and bowed in front of his idol right after the match. And well, then came this tweet:

As a result then, Sachin tweeted after the match, saying, "Great Win Team India. Thank you for the innings and gesture @imVkohl. Team India returning to the dressing room after the game, waved to me. Felt like I never left the team...#IndVsPak (sic)"

5. By giving us the feels this Women's Day
Honestly, this was one of the highlights of Women's Day this year for women (and men) all over the country. "Sorry for the jerks, the cat-callers, the stalkers. Don't let them ruin it for the rest of us. Happy Women's Day (sic)," he said. It's difficult not to go weak in the knees after that.

6. Because a man who's dedicated and professional, is a man worth his salt
In December 2006, an 18-year-old Kohli played the Ranji Trophy Group A Match (Delhi vs Karnataka) from Delhi. After the second day of the match, when Delhi still had a long way to go, Kohli's world turned upside down--he lost his 54-year-old father, Prem Kohli. Needles to say, Kohli went home to be with the family, but--hear this--only to return to the field the next day and get through Day 3 of the match with utmost poise and professionalism.

Right after the match, Kohli left the field to attend his father's funeral. Delhi won the match.

If an 18-year-old boy could have the dedication to do that, you know he's worth his salt, and more.