Virat Kohli recalled his late father on Father's Day in an emotional post on Instagram and revealed a stunning incident which shaped how he lives his life. The star cricketer posted a picture with his dad from his childhood, which has not been seen before.

The 36-year-old star Indian cricketer opened up on an incident when his father told him to find his way in the cricketing system through merit instead of taking any shortcut. Kohli stated that his father's words and actions shaped how he lives his life.

"He taught me to never rely on shortcuts or influence — because if you truly have it in you, hard work will show it.

And if you don’t have the will to work for it, then maybe you don’t deserve it yet. When I was offered an easier path once, he refused it for me. With calm conviction, he said, “If you’re good enough, you’ll find your way. And if not, it’s better to know that early," wrote Kohli on Instagram.

"That one moment shaped how I live, work, and show up in the world. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers whose quiet strength becomes our lifelong compas," Kohli added.

In 2021, Kohli had spoken in detail about the incident and claimed he was dropped from the team in junior cricket and his father was told to give a bribe, which he refused.

"I was selected for the U-14 Delhi team and then I was dropped at 1:00 AM because of some complications..., you know how and what happens at the state levels, someone was preferred over me because of some compensations that were done," Kohli had revealed in a chat with Dinesh Karthik on SKY Sports

"The same was offered to my father as well. That if you can (pay for selection), maybe he (Kohli) can get into the team after two games. My father straightaway said 'I'm not gonna pay a single penny to make him play. If he can play on his talent, so be it. If not, it's not meant for him'," Kohli added.

Kohli's father passed away in December 2006, when he was just 18. He made his debut for India in

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