When Gilchrist’s son chose Kohli’s bat over his own father’s

NEW DELHI: There’s no denying Virat Kohli‘s status as a global icon in cricket. His unmatched skill, relentless determination, and charismatic leadership have earned him legions of fans worldwide, including some unexpected admirers. One such fan is Archie, the son of Australian legend Adam Gilchrist, who once made a surprising choice that delighted Kohli’s followers.
During the 2018-19 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gilchrist revealed an amusing anecdote about his then 11-year-old son Archie, who opted for a Virat Kohli-endorsed MRF bat over the Puma bat that Gilchrist himself had famously used during his illustrious career.
Border-Gavaskar Trophy
On-air during the second Test in Perth, Gilchrist shared the story as Kohli was crafting a sublime century alongside Hanuma Vihari. “Youngsters today want to play like Virat Kohli,” Gilchrist remarked. “My Archie, he is 11 years old, and he’s got an MRF bat. At the Adelaide Test, he had the choice between a Puma bat like mine or the MRF, and he went with the Virat Kohli special. Stickers on Virat Kohli’s bat has just MRF and nothing around it, no other colours. On the junior model, there’s some silver sticker that runs down the side of the MRF printing and a little bit of black colouring as well.”
Gilchrist went on to describe how Archie wanted his bat to mirror Kohli’s precisely. “Last night, when I got home, my Archie got his bat out and said ‘Dad, can we get all the black and silver scalped out’, and I noticed now that Virat doesn’t have any on his. So, the impact these modern greats have on the youngsters,” Gilchrist added.
At the time of Gilchrist’s story, Kohli was batting on 100, showcasing the exact kind of brilliance that inspires young cricketers like Archie. Kohli went on to score 123 in India’s first innings total of 283, a performance that left an indelible mark despite India eventually losing the match by 146 runs.

While Australia leveled the series 1-1 with their victory in Perth, Kohli and his team rebounded to claim a historic 2-1 series win, becoming the first Indian side to triumph in a Test series Down Under.
For Archie, and many others like him, Virat Kohli represents not just a cricketer but an icon of excellence and passion. His influence extends far beyond India’s borders, even captivating the next generation of cricketers, including the son of one of the sport’s all-time greats.