Virat Kohli - Indian Cricket's true warrior

A few failures and we mock him

Cricket is a cruel sport, one day you are hailed as a champion and the other day you are brought to ground zero. Few poor outings and the fans go crazy. We perceive our cricketers to be electronically controlled bots who have to perform in every single match. It is too harsh, it is indeed.

Seldom have we seen a commitment that Virat Kohli has shown right from the start of his cricketing career. Not only Kohli, but any person who goes about continuing his job despite bereavement in his/her family is someone who will always hold the fortress upright in torrid times.

For people who do not know, Kohli delayed his father’s funeral just because the Delhi Ranji team needed his services the next day his father passed away. Yours truly has been greatly inspired by this deed. It is not an easy thing, if you have pulled off in a situation like this, you will excel in any condition because it can never get worse.

He has been a star since his early days in cricket. Whatever he has done for Indian cricket, it has had an essence of honesty, passion and true dedication. The hard work he has put in shows the class this guy enacts every single time he takes guard. There have been a few distractions, but he has overcome all those adversities in his signature style. Records and statistics would not be a perfect attribute to defend him.

Do not force him to change his style

People question his aggression; I beg to differ on this one. This is how Virat has been and there is nothing wrong in that. If being aggressive rouses the passion and fire, then why not? If your words and attitude can irritate the opposition; then why not? If swearing ignites the passion in you; then why not?

Off late, Virat has not been at his best with the bat. It is a phase every player will have to go through. Of course, we should not make a hill out of a mole. Scoring centuries is not an easy task and Virat has been doing it on a consistent basis.

Scoring boundaries at will requires special talent. To do that against the likes of Lasith Malinga at will is an extraordinary thing. Honesty, dedication and hard work are the primary reasons why Virat has mastered the art of breaching field placements just by angling the position of his bat and playing those shots with mere deft touches.

These are early days for him as a captain. We need more time to judge if he is indeed the perfect person to succeed and hold the baton and legacy that MS Dhoni has created in the last decade. Success shall not be achieved at one go. It needs time, it certainly does. To connect the dots, one has to be better than the previous day. Virat has been an ardent student and believer of the aforesaid words.

The funniest and to be honest, the saddest thing is that the media questions his personal life every single time he fails to deliver. Why? Just because Anushka is a star. Only because the wives/girlfriends of other cricketers keep a low profile. One gentleman from the BCCI favored the permission to have wives but not girlfriends on foreign tours which is certainly rubbish to say the least.

Never ever question a guy who is honest, dedicated and hard working. Times will be tough, but it does not mean that the person has changed. Always remember, form can be temporary, but class and attitude remain permanent.

Virat Kohli is the future of Indian cricket. It is tough to fill in MS Dhoni’s shoes. But with time, he will prove that he was the best bet to take Indian cricket forward.