From Dhoni grilling Aussie journalist to Kohli bowing down to Sachin: 11 pictures that won us over in 2016

The year gone by was a bitter-sweet one for Indian sports. While there were many instances that filled our hearts with pride, there were even those that made us bury our heads in shame. From breaking ground and finding never-seen-before success, to a miserable medal tally at the Rio Olympics, to doping scandals, Indian sports fans experienced it all this year - the good, bad and ugly.

But as 2016 comes to a close, let’s rewind the clock to celebrate those images that left an indelible mark in our hearts. The ones that made us forget the game in the sport. Because sport isn’t simply about winning or losing, it’s also about the raw emotions that tiny moments can invoke in our hearts.

Here are 11 such images (not in an order of preference) from 2016 that will be etched in our memories for years to come:

Virat Kohli bows down to his idol - Sachin Tendulkar

Virat Kohli reserved a special celebration for reaching his half-century against Pakistan during the ICC World T20 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. India’s next big superstar bowed down to the God of Cricket, and in that one moment, fans didn’t just celebrate Kohli’s momentary milestone, they even celebrated their favourite son Sachin Tendulkar. Warm, fuzzy feeling if there ever was one!

PV Sindhu lends a helping hand to Carolina Marin

2016 was the year of Pusarla Venkata Sindhu. By winning a Singles Silver Medal at the Rio Olympics, the 21-year-old lanky badminton player became an overnight icon in India. And even though she lost to Carolina Marin in the final, her beautiful gesture of helping the Spaniard to her feet, as she was overwhelmed with emotions at the end of the match was a symbol of everything that the Olympic games stand for. Sindhu might have only won silver that night, but India knew it had found gold.

MS Dhoni's one-on-one with an Australian scribe

What many would say was a reasonable question to ask a 34-year-old who plays only one format of cricket and has achieved pretty much everything in it, turned out to be quite the spectacle. Australian journalist Samuel Ferris would’ve never imagined his innocent query to Mahendra Singh Dhoni regarding his future in limited overs cricket would land him on a seat right next to arguably India’s greatest ever captain for a quick chat. A reporter being picked out in such a way from a press conference is unheard of and Dhoni, of all people, being the one to do that made fans all over the world speculate on Captain Cool’s state of mind.

Emotional Sakshi Malik has a 'Chak De' moment after clinching Rio bronze 

For a country as patriarchal as India, where a sport like wrestling is entirely male-dominated, to see Sakshi Malik win a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics was stirring. This image of Sakshi folding up on the mat with the tri-colour wrapped around her, breaking down in tears of joy after her victory, is poignant when one thinks of the struggles she must have had to face being a woman.

Vijender Singh mocks his opponent in the middle of a bout

There was little doubt in people’s minds whether Vijender Singh would be able to defend his WBO Asia-Pacific Super Middleweight Title and extend his pro-boxing record to eight wins and no losses when he stepped into the ring against Tanzanian pugilist Francis Cheka. And the Haryana lad didn’t disappoint with a victory in less than ten minutes that proved his utter dominance. But the moment that stood out, from the otherwise dull fight, was when Vijender pulled out a leaf of showmanship from the great Muhammad Ali’s book. He put his hands behind his back and flashed a big smile at his opponent, bang in the middle of some tough sparring. Definitely one for the archives!

Dipa Karmakar is embraced by her coach after she completes the dangerous Produnova vault

If there was a list made of sports that Indians are never likely to succeed in, Artistic Gymnastics would top it. Dipa Karmakar did the unthinkable by attaining the 4th position in the Women’s Vault Gymnastics at the Rio Olympics. Her success in the life-threatening Produnova vault made the entire world sit-up and take notice. During the final round of Dipa’s event, or during all her events for that matter, all athletes from various nations walked into the arena with a minimum support staff of five. But with the diminutive Indian, it was just her coach Bishweshwar Nandi. This image taken after Dipa’s Produnova act, thus, is truly special.

Virat Kohli shuts down Ben Stokes

If there’s one thing opponents around the world should know, it’s to not rub Virat Kohli the wrong way. Ask the Australians, they learnt that the hard way. When Ben Stokes decided to put a finger on his mouth to mock Kohli’s dismissal during the third Test between India and England at Mohali, the all-rounder sure knew he had it coming. This Indian team, under Kohli, is all about the aggression. After sending the Englishman back to the pavilion the following day, the Indian Test captain took little time to wave to all the photographers at the ground to zoom in on him. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Win the World Cup, do the Bhangra

The Kabaddi World Cup has been contested a total of three times, in 2004, 2007 and 2016, with India ending as champions on all occasions. And what do you do when you win the title each time, do some good ‘ol Bhangra, of course!

Dhoni’s run-out against Bangladesh, la Usain Bolt

Bangladesh needed 11 runs in the final over against India in their Super 10 match of the ICC World T20. And after some poor bowling from Hardik Pandya, they were left with two to get from three deliveries with four wickets in hand. But Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah went for wild hoicks and perished, leading to an edge-of-the-seat thriller that saw Mustafizur Rahman in a sprint-battle with Dhoni on the last ball. And Dhoni, as he always does, finished off the game in style.

Captain Harjeet Singh just can't let go of the Junior Hockey World Cup trophy

With one of India’s most popular sports, hockey, failing to bring glory to the country since eternity, the Junior Hockey World Cup triumph was truly a momentous achievement for the country. This picture of captain Harjeet Singh sleeping with the trophy was heartwarming and also symbolic of the passion in the hearts of this young team. Indian hockey seems to be in safe hands.

'Acha chalta hoon, duaaon mein yaad rakhna' - Abhinav Bindra's final goodbye

India's only individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, failed to make the podium by a whisker at the 2016 Rio games. This was the last time the veteran was competing at a shooting event and he didn't bow out without providing a glimpse of his class. Before Sakshi Malik and PV Sindhu's outstanding show, Bindra came closest to winning a medal for the nation at a time when all other athletes were crashing out without putting up a fight. Bindra's spirited fourth place finish at Rio marked the end of a stellar career and his goodbye gesture made every Indian emotional.