How important is it for successful sportsmen to present a smiling face? Not really important, because facial expression has nothing to do with performance. But cut to Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, and it’s possible that you will notice an additional degree of anger in his ways, even at the best of times. It’s not just aggression or a relentless drive to outdo the opponent, which is often an integral part of the system of a champion. Kohli is burning all the time— and showing it.
The opposition captain trudging off quietly after getting dismissed, the media asking questions, onlookers at practice—the captain has a word for all, which is usually not complimentary. Many have called him one of the best batsmen of this generation, if not an all-time great. Yet he always seems to have a point to prove and doesn’t let go until he does that. One can dismiss this by saying that it matters little how the cricket captain behaves. The team is improving. Kohli is leading from the front.
That times will not always be as good is one reason Kohli should practice restraint. Nobody has said anything, but his obsession to stick to what he believes has been noticed. It has been heard that he is not receptive to ideas and wants to impose his own. If instead of addressing these issues, he antagonises more people by being unpleasant, it can have a cascading effect the moment the going gets tough.
A player of courage who likes challenges, Kohli has had a bright first half of an international career. Given that he turns 30 in November, he will face many more situations that will test his batsmanship and his ability to handle tricky situations. One who loves working hard at all aspects, he must be aware of the importance of building his image. Is it deliberate or natural? Does it attract more eyeballs or provoke people? One can’t tell. Some of the big names he would be compared with behaved like normal human beings. It’s up to Kohli to make sure he doesn’t end up as Captain Glum.