Virat Kohli is a role model not just for Team India, but Englishmen
Virat Kohli had a poor record against the Englishmen in the previous Test series. That was past. Today he is not only leading the Indian team by example also become a role model for the Englishmen.
On Saturday, as the dashing and daring skipper scored a crafty and well-timed unbeaten 147 in Mumbai, he was cheered by one and all. For a Test series at home being played in the right spirit of the game, Kohli has become a super hero of a different sort.
It’s one thing to see young boys in club cricket all over India wanting to become a Kohli but such is the rub-off effect, the Englishmen see him as one who defines the grammar of batting. From Haseeb Hameed to Keaton Jennings, both Englishmen who figure in this series, they are full of praise for Kohli.
It’s not that these two young batsmen are in awe of Kohli but have said they got to learn so much from the Indian. It’s not long ago, we talked of Kohli as someone who was brash, arrogant and not exactly the diplomat type who would give the best sound bytes.
Call it maturity or the way he is enjoying the challenge of being the leader, Kohli has evolved in all possible ways. Scoring runs is just one part of it, though, in Mumbai, the timing of his knock was perfect.
A lot had been said about this Wankhede pitch from Day One, but Kohli has once again showed that when you have the technique, temperament and tact, scoring runs is not a problem.
Statistics, which are so often used to describe the greatness of a batsman, were again played out for Kohli. He has crossed the 4,000 run mark in Tests and now with an average of over 50 in all the three formats, Kohli becomes a batsman who is showing the cricket world what he is made of.
All talk of the champion batsman having flopped against England before have now been confined to the dustbin. Yet, what marks Kohli out as special is how he has scored runs, led the team like a king and been a big source of motivation for his teammates.
There is aggression but no brashness. There is intent but nothing ugly and even his pow-wows with the Englishmen over certain dismissals have not looked indecent. This is not like the Aussies sledging on the field. If, indeed, Kohli has needled the rivals, there has been a certain level of maturity in it.
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| There is aggression but no brashness. |
For a man who has huge admirers which includes past greats like Viv Richards and Kevin Pietersen, Kohli belongs to the new age. It would not be wrong to call him the leader-cum-batsman emerging from the IPL age where he mixes with players from other countries as well in a transparent manner.
Comparisons will also be made with the God of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, though the Mumbaikar did not have this kind of a stage presence when he was 26 or 27. Tendulkar was very different and methodical but if you talk of aura and being omnipresent and sending a feeling of awe in rival ranks, Kohli has it.
Sometimes, it’s scary the way Kohli keeps going on and on.
Though he has to handle captaincy in only the Test format, he has blossomed well. His first tilt at Test captaincy was with Ravi Shastri as the team director but with Anil Kumble for company, Kohli is glowing even more as a natural leader.
Before the start of the Mumbai Test, there was a lot of criticism for many Indian players as there were injury breakdowns. Kohli has insulated the team in that sense and is undoubtedly the batting leader.
From beyond the boundary it may look he is doing something so difficult. Yet, you can see the man is batting with the ease of a Picasso using the brush and canvas. Picasso’s strokes were of colour and Kohli’s strokes, too, have plenty of colour in it.
The work areas are different but the creativity is comparable where even rivals are now swooning. It’s this facet which has made Kohli look like some kind of a superhero which has earlier been seen in a sport like football.
How long Kohli can continue to do this is not something to worry about. After all, when you reach a stage of nirvana while batting and do whatever you want, almost nothing can stop you.
Champagne stuff, Kohli.
(Courtesy of Mail Today.)