For the longest time, Virat Kohli seemed like just another brat who needed to get angry to get things done. But even then, what set him apart was that he wouldn't just get angry... he would almost always get even too. As he turns 27 today, India wouldn't have him do anything different. After Mahendra Singh Dhoni's long stint as captain, you needed somebody to shake things up and the youngster from Delhi was that man. The runs were always there to back up the talent and the anger – he fed off the anger and used it to further the team's cause. For him, the aggression was a mind-set – it wasn't so much about trying to hurt someone as it was about trying to give himself an extra push in the face of a difficult opposition. It was his method and it worked. Given how long batsmen tend to play on these days, he could well be around for another decade. But here's a look at five things that should never change in Virat:

3. Finishing Things Up

When on song, there are few better finishers in ODI cricket. As long as he is the middle, it is almost impossible to count India out. He has 23 ODI tons and 34 fifties in 166 ODIs – numbers that show he knows how to make his starts count. An average of 50.60 shows that he has a rare consistency. In Tests, after a slow start – his average has already hit 45 and he has established himself as a man who likes to be there till the end. He likes to finish things up and that is the sign of a class player.

4. No disguising it

Kohli is as real as it gets. While many cricketers in India will go out of their way to hide their relationship status, Virat was pretty open about it and that's how it should be. Even Anushka said, “We are not hiding anything. We are two normal young people in a relationship.” This is a new age and Virat is at right at the head of it. Ask him something and you are likely to get a straight answer. A refreshing quality when in comes to India's cricketers.