Under the twilight sky of Birmingham in 2013, two young men revelled in the sheer joy of triumph. One, an exuberant 24-year-old, swayed to the beats of the viral sensation ‘Gangnam Style’. The other, just a year older, clung to the Champions Trophy like a child unwilling to part with his most cherished possession.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — two names that would go on to redefine Indian cricket — stood on the cusp of greatness that day. The victory was more than just a moment of celebration; it was redemption. Indian cricket had been tainted by the scars of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League just weeks before, and this win was a cleansing fire.