As batsman and captain it is safe to say that no other cricketer has been as responsible for India’s rise in world cricket as Virat Kohli, says Partab Ramchand. With his unbridled aggression, fierce competitiveness and ethereal batting skills, Kohli inspired the Indian team to perform feats they had not achieved before and his attitude redefined the art of Indian batting, he points out
Virat Kohli’s lasting legacy to Indian cricket will be the self-belief he gave it. This quality was not initiated by him – one has to go back to Sunil Gavaskar and some half a century ago to trace its genesis. Thereafter Kapil Dev, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly (as captain) and M.S. Dhoni saw to it that this important aspect was maintained. But Kohli took it to another level.
As batsman and captain it is safe to say that no other cricketer has been as responsible for India’s rise in world cricket. With his unbridled aggression, fierce competitiveness and ethereal batting skills, Virat Kohli inspired the Indian team to perform feats they had not achieved before. He was the heartbeat of Indian cricket inspiring his teammates to strive for greater heights. His message was crystal clear – we can overcome any hurdle or obstacle, we can win anywhere, home and away, we ask for no quarter and will give none. Hum kisise kum nahin (we are no less than anybody) was his simple but firm motto and his teammates rallied around him.
As the batting superstar of his time, Kohli was well aware of his responsibilities and one lost count of the number of times he rose to the occasion with a timely hundred or even a double. His penchant for big scores saw him reel off seven double hundreds, the most by an Indian and, interestingly enough, all of them were notched up as captain. When it came to leading from the front, he had few equals. And with his technical skill, fiery temperament and the manner in which he dominated the bowling, he rightly took his place among the modern giants of world cricket.
To be candid, Kohli’s attitude redefined the art of Indian batting and it was not exactly a surprise to see Greg Chappell hail him as the most Australian non-Australian cricketer. There was a raw ruthlessness about his approach that put him on a pedestal. He was the snarling warrior with a scowl, never giving an inch, always demanding more – not just of his bowlers and his fielders but first and foremost himself. As he famously once said, “I will not ask anyone to do anything I will not do myself.” He was particularly fond of his record in Test cricket and as he once put it, “I cannot explain the job satisfaction you get when you do well in Test cricket.”
Kohli didn’t have a glorious start to his career. He was rather slow after teeing off but even then one was always sure that he was a long-term prospect and could even become the next superstar. So assured was his batting, so high was his confidence, so steely was his temperament that by the time Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Tendulkar retired, Kohli was ready to take over as the biggest name in Indian cricket.
There were three distinct phases in Kohli’s Test career. From 2011 to 2014, still largely in the shadow of the giants, he scored 1,865 runs from 29 Tests at an average of 39.46 with six hundreds. For the next five years, he could no wrong which, considering the extended time period, puts him on a pedestal all his own. In 55 Tests, he amassed 5,347 runs at an average of 63.65 with 21 hundreds. This included a spell of 18 months during which he notched up six double hundreds. He was the Wisden leading cricketer of the world two years running. In the last five years though, he experienced a bit of a slump but still managed to get 2,028 runs at an average of 30.72 with three hundreds. The slump was more pronounced during what proved to be his last series – in Australia last winter – and Kohli, never one to overstay his welcome and always keen to maintain high standards, read the writing on the wall and rode off into the sunset.
Actually, while Kohli will always be remembered first and foremost for his ethereal batting skills which saw him finish as the fourth highest run-getter in India after Tendulkar, Dravid and Gavaskar, he also takes his place as a very successful captain. Indeed, with 40 victories in 68 Tests, he is the most successful Indian captain ever, with the jewel in the crown being the triumph in Australia in 2018-19 – the first time India won a Test series Down Under. Kohli has been rightly given his due for the victory; for more than tactical or strategic ability, it was his personal style of leadership that brought about the historic result. There he was goading and guiding his men to perform above their level and how admirably they responded!
A fit and fiery Kohli transformed Indian cricket. He took fitness to new heights symbolised by his numerous extended stays at the crease, his sprinting across while converting singles into twos and his acrobatic catching in the slips. Yes, there were times when his combativeness went out of control and he was guilty of unacceptable behaviour, totally unbecoming of a cricketer of his exalted status. But that was part of his personality and one has to accept Kohli warts and all as one of the legendary figures of the modern game. He is now retired from T-20 cricket and Test cricket but will continue to grace ODIs in which format he is already one of the all-time greats. One can already see him play a leading role in India’s campaign in the 2027 World Cup.
(The writer is a veteran sports writer who spent his career working for The Indian Express and The Telegraph and Sportsworld. He lives in Chennai.)
from Webdoux