He is the epitome of the new breed of Indian cricketers – aggressive mentality, bats with intent and unafraid of throwing himself around the field. He is none other than Virat Kohli rated by many as future India captain. At just 24 years old, Kohli’s already the third most senior member in the ODI team after MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina with 100 ODIs.
An 18-year old Kohli had shown great mental fortitude scoring 90 for Delhi in a Ranji Trophy match after his father’s death and that quality stands him in good stead still. After captaining the victorious Indian team at the 2008 U-19 World Cup, Kohli got a call up into the senior team.
Former India opener, WV Raman, coach during the U-19 tri series in South Africa was effusive in his praise, “Even then, he had the rare quality of taking up responsibility and pressure. It is his self-confidence that sets him apart and helped make a seamless transition from the junior to senior side. If he maintains his consistency, he will be the mainstay and the future captain.
Kohli’s success is based on a sound technique that helps him score all round the wicket. Stylish yesteryear batsman Gundappa Viswanath says that Kohli has fulfilled his promise from the Under-19 days. He adds, “He has a good temperament, bats aggressively and plays well in front of the wicket. He has a perfect technique that allows him to flourish in all three formats. He serves as a good example to youngsters. Perhaps, he can curtail a bit of aggression with the ball or during fielding”.
Former India captain Anil Kumble who has seen Kohli from close quarters during the IPL says, “Kohli has improved a lot in two years and is more mature. He’s definitely one of the best young cricketers in the world currently and will be a key player for India for years. ”
Kohli’s growing maturity came to the fore during his brilliant match saving partnership with MS Dhoni against England in the 2012 Nagpur test. What is notable is that more often than not, Kohli’s contributions have been crucial to India’s success. Indeed, Twelve of his thirteen hundreds have come in a winning cause in ODIs.
However Kohli did not have it all his own way. After being dropped from the team in 2009, a shattered Kohli worked hard to regain his place and scored his first hundred against Sri Lanka in a huge chase of 315.
There was no looking back after that. He became India’s leading ODI run-getter in 2010, continued to set records like the fastest Indian to reach 4000 runs and was named the ODI cricketer of the year in 2012. Kohli is being groomed for captaincy having been first named vice captain in 2010.
In IPL, he captains RCB where at times his aggression has got the better of him. WV Raman says, “There’s nothing wrong in letting opponents know that they have a fight on their hands. Aggression is good as long as it’s controlled. Else he could be in trouble as the code of conduct is very strict now.” He adds, “The way he has come up in a short time span, I have no doubt that he will be rated among the top cricketers in the world soon.” Indian fans will hope his words come true and Kohli reigns as the next superstar in world cricket.