#IndVsEng: England didn't lack talent, they just lacked a Virat Kohli
India captain Virat Kohli belongs to the select group of players who have taken batting to a new level. Modern-day cricket is fortunate to see the likes of AB de Villiers, Steve Smith, David Warner, Kane Williamson, Joe Root and Kohli - a class of batsmen who have set new standards and are leaders extraordinaire.
All these players share similar career graphs that establish them as the best among the current crop. Kohli, De Villiers, Williamson and Root started as specialist batsmen but rapidly went up the ladder. All of these sportsmen have shown their class in different formats to further consolidate their position at the top.
However, there are certain things that prove there is not another cricketer like Kohli in the world. There is a state-of-art-ness in everything that this modern-day master does. At 28, Kohli is at the top of world batting charts and has led his team to the number one position in Test cricket.
But what makes the fittest man in cricket special is his aura that goes well beyond the cricket field. For someone who started as an aggressive brat who would get riled up at every small instance on the field, he now commands immense respect from his compatriots, opposition and most importantly, cricket fans worldwide.
His social media accounts are packed with selfies in the gym, motivational videos, pictures of him cuddling his dog, making his approach very personal to his fans.
A lot of people see Kohli as an aggressive, borderline-arrogant sort of a person on the field due to his passion and hunger to win. However, off the field he is very humble.
Nine years since his international debut, it is fair to say that Kohli has turned into one of the game's biggest superstars. But is it only because of his batting prowess? Certainly not.
Kohli has captured the imaginations of the cricket-crazy fans in India to an extent that his charisma now spreads way beyond the shores of the country. Much like Sachin Tendulkar, who was loved equally in England, Australia and Pakistan, Kohli has become a loved figure around the world.
 |
| Kohli fulfilled a promise made to Mohammad Amir, presenting the Pakistani fast bowler with one of his bats at Eden Gardens. |
One just can't overlook Kohli's gesture to Haseeb Hameed, a teenaged English batsman who was devastated to learn that he had to leave the Test tour of India midway due to a broken finger. However, his pain eased to some extent when he got a chance to meet one of his heroes, Kohli, at the end of the third Test in Mohali last December.
In another great gesture, Kohli fulfilled a promise made to Mohammad Amir, presenting the Pakistani fast bowler with one of his bats at Eden Gardens during the World T20 last year. Incidents like these set Kohli apart from other stars and probably reasons out why and what makes the world huff and puff over him.
Kohli's cult status was on show not too long ago. During the recently-concluded Test series against England, Kohli not only wooed the Indian audience but also made the England fans stand up and take notice so much so that even the Barmy Army was in awe of him. Kohli is feared and revered in equal measure. Opposition captains spend more time plotting his dismissal and bowlers consider him one of the most prized scalps.
On the other hand, the England team which came with a great record in the past, lacked a talismanic leader and a mascot like Kohli. Despite the presence of quality batsmen in Root and Ben Stokes, England were battered in the five-match Test series which they lost 4-0. They also lost the three-match ODI series 2-1 and are now preparing to take on India in the three-match T20I series, starting from January 26.
It is understandable that England did not have the glamorous presence of Kevin Peitersen or the strong character in Graeme Swann this time in India but they had new-age match-winners in Root, Stokes, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow, who were more than capable of taking the match away from the opposition. All of them had a decent run on the field but were unable to match the attitude, hunger and the drive that the Kohli-led Indian side displayed.
Looking at the reasons behind their dismal show in India, England will probably ponder that they did not lack in talent but were blown away by the unparalleled superstar-ness and the aura of Kohli.
Watch: