3 Things that Virat Kohli has improved on to become the best in the world

If we talk about the best cricketers currently going around in world cricket, the discussion cannot be complete without Virat Kohli’s name coming up. Whether it is scoring quick and fast runs in T20 cricket, building an innings at a steady pace in ODI cricket or playing with great patience in Test Matches, Virat has mastered it all.

He is also one of the very few players to be captaining his national team in all formats of the game, and the success that India have achieved under his captaincy is unprecedented.

Virat had shown signs of greatness very early in his career, first by captaining the India U-19 team to the World Cup title, and then with some match-winning knocks for the senior team, but what has always stood out for him is the fact that he has never let his career come to a downfall.

While many could have argued a few years ago that he may not be able to continue his performance levels over the years, Virat has ensured that he has only got better in racking up some amazing numbers. Here is a look at three key factors which Virat has improved with time.

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#1 Fitness: Becoming Leaner but Stronger

Kohli's fitness and strength have become better with time

Virat came into the Indian team as a chubby young kid, fondly called ‘Chiku’. Though he was never an overweight and was quite agile in the field, there was a scope to become leaner and stronger, and Virat has done precisely that to his body. This transformation is exactly the opposite of many Indian cricketers in the past, who have found it tough to maintain their fitness with age.

Such is Virat’s fitness level that even after a full day of batting or being on the field on a hot day in India, one rarely finds him looking drained or tired. Even youngsters like KL Rahul have gone on record to say that their captain’s fitness is an inspiration for everyone.

Virat has always been thinking about his fitness and had said at the start of 2018 that he wants to ensure that he remains fit even after turning 30. This factor has helped him a great deal in playing all matches for India along with the IPL, being the captain in every match.

#2 Consistency : Bigger scores, more frequently

Within the first few years of Kohli’s career, it was a known fact that he was full of talent and would be on a path to greatness if he is able to maintain his staggering numbers going forward.

But let alone maintaining, he has taken his performances up to unimaginable levels over the last few years. If one thought that an ODI average of above 50 is exceptional, Kohli is well above that. With an average of around 55, he is touted as one of the best batsmen of all time.

Scoring Daddy Hundreds has become a habit for Kohli

Virat had also said once, that he wants to score bigger hundreds in test cricket, and that’s precisely what he has been doing. It took him nearly three years from Aug 2015 to Aug 2018 to get dismissed on a score below 150 after crossing the three figure mark.

His batting average in tests is also climbing as a result with almost every series, and should soon be amongst the all time best. His average in ODI cricket over 2016-2018 stands at 89.33, which speaks for itself.

#3 Controlled temper: Calmer and more mature as captain

If there was one thing that a young Virat Kohli was genuinely poor at, it was controlling his temper. A typical Delhi boy, habitual of showing his anger on his face and expressing it by his actions, Virat was frequently criticized by cricketing gurus for his on-field behavior.

His immaturity was quite notable when he showed the middle finger to the Australian crowd or when he got into an ugly argument with Gautam Gambhir on field in the IPL.

Virat was tagged as a spoiled brat, but now he is a highly matured person

But as he has slowly got the reigns of all three national teams for India, he has developed into a much more cool-headed and mature person. Virat is still one of the most aggressive personalities on the field, but that aggression does not turn into ugly banters.

He is hence garnering more respect from all experts across the world. We hope that he keeps winning both matches and hearts in his career ahead!