Virat Kohli once again delivered on the biggest stage as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defended their IPL title with a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, extending his remarkable run of consistency in a format increasingly dominated by ultra-aggressive batting.
Kohli struck an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, including nine fours and three sixes, as RCB chased down GT’s 155 for 8 in 18 overs.
“That is a lesson for the youngsters to understand that it’s not about power-hitting only, not about hitting sixes only. If you are good with the technique, you can always score big and that is what Virat showed today also,” his former coach said after the match.
Just as Kohli built his career through discipline, patience, and adaptability, investors can apply similar principles to build long-term wealth. Here are five key money lessons inspired by Kohli’s approach to success.
Consistency and disciplined approach
The greatness of Kohli is not about a few spectacular innings but about delivering results consistently over the years. Investing works is a very similar pattern. Data shows that investing consistently, for example, through SIPs, often creates more wealth than trying to time the market or chase quick gains.
Lesson: Focus on a disciplined investing approach rather than searching for the right multibagger.
Starting early
Kohli started playing professional cricket in the IPL at the age of 19. He was signed by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Bangalore) in the inaugural 2008 season shortly after leading the India U-19 team to a World Cup victory. Starting early gave him enough time to develop and correct his mistakes. In investing, time is equally valuable because it allows compounding to work its magic.
Lesson: The earlier you start, the less money you may need to invest to create significant wealth.
Diversification
From a very early age, Kohli diversified his investments across real estate, equity and business ventures. Today, his investment portfolio spans sports-tech, athleisure and tech-driven startups, including a ₹40 crore investment in Agilitas Sports (where he shifted his One8 brand), a stake in the sports-tech World Bowling League, and stakes in Digit Insurance, MPL and Rage Coffee. Similarly, investors shouldn’t depend on a single asset class. Equities, debt, gold and other investments can play different roles in a portfolio.
Lesson: Diversification can help reduce risk during market volatility and help create wealth over time.
Staying calm during turbulent times
Every sportsperson faces difficult phases, but Kohli’s ability to stay focused under pressure has been one of his defining traits. Similarly, markets also go through corrections, crashes and periods of uncertainty; it is essential to remain calm during such testing times.
Lesson: Avoid making emotional decisions during market downturns; focus on long-term investment plans instead.
Choosing right format as retirement approaches
Even though Kohli is fit and in good form, he has retired from international T20 and Test cricket and is currently playing only ODI and IPL. Investors also need to adjust their strategy as they approach retirement. Younger investors may afford a higher allocation to equities, while those nearing retirement often need greater focus on capital preservation.
Lesson: Reduce equity allocation and move towards debt as you approach retirement, since a single market correction can severely impact your retirement corpus.