Kohli doesn't shy away from anything, says Brian Lara

2016 was a fortune-altering year for Virat Kohli.

Since January two years ago, Kohli has played 114 matches for India across all formats. He's been the most capped player in the world since, and is over 1400 runs ahead of the next best, Joe Root.

We haven't even counted the IPL.

It must be mentally hard, waking up each morning and motivating oneself to do the same thing over and over again. At 30, Kohli is a maniacally-running steam engine with just a handful of halts. And he has been doing that, in and out, season beyond season.

The comparisons to superstars of yesteryear have stuck with Kohli along the way, especially to those who just preceded his generation of batsmen.

For obvious reasons, Sachin Tendulkar often finds himself at the other end of such debates, but for the Little Master himself, the contest in his heydays was with a richly talented West Indian.

Between his debut and retirement, Brian Charles Lara scored more Test runs than anyone on the planet. Things were different then - from quality pacers to board squabbles, Lara faced it all.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the legendary Lara, now retired for over a decade, opened up about Kohli's insatiable hunger for runs.

"When I was doing well, I was more critical of my performances, I was more on video, watching if I did anything wrong because I knew the opposition was going to spend extra time on me and I wanted to keep that run going as long as possible".

Lara became Test cricket's most prolific run-getter at the ripe age of 36

From 2003 to 2005, when he was nearing the twilight of his career, Lara crossed 1000 Test runs in three consecutive years, averaging 74.66, 58.90 and 65.29 respectively. That included a record-shattering unbeaten 400, a peak that could stay unchartered for years.

When asked what keeps a sportsperson motivated, fresh and ready for yet another hit during a purple patch, Lara exclaimed: "the purple patch!"

"A person like Virat Kohli, what I find about him is that he's ticking the box everywhere, in terms of fatigue, he doesn't look like he's going to get out".

"Even if he does he takes a bit of a rest".

After a self-vindicating tour of England, that saw him rectify his dismal averages amidst a harrowing campaign, Kohli sat out of the Asia Cup, that was eventually lifted under Rohit Sharma's captaincy.

Kohli averaged almost 60 in 10 Test innings in England this year

“Virat needed this rest. Physically he is a bull. You can’t get him out of the ground. It was a case of just mental fatigue, giving him a break, take your mind off cricket and then come back fresh,” coach Ravi Shastri had later said.

Lara noted that there was an innate burning desire in Kohli to 'tick all the boxes', to go out of the way and get the difficult things done, sometimes at the expense of losing steam.

"His fitness levels, nutrition levels, his love and passion for the game - all those boxes are ticked. I believe that he may run out of steam. He is not playing in the West Indies T20I series, might be a good time for him to take a couple of weeks off.

"He is doing the right thing, someone like that and you see his numbers, it is simply because he is so very focused on every single thing. He's not someone who shies away from anything".

It shows in the way Kohli is on the field - he yells from inside his helmet when he misses out on an extra run, kicks himself when he doesn't manage to connect his throw with the stumps, and looks ever-so-involved, his brow always up, muttering to himself, pushing his limits.

"That's important for a young sportsperson. You feel you're at home with a cricket bat in your hands, but if someone asks you to run five miles, you don't want to run. You need to tick that box".

"You need to show you have the mettle to go out there and do things you are uncomfortable with and he seems to be doing that well".

As Kohli crosses 30, the challenges for India's current most iconic sportsman could encounter new twists

He's just ticked past 30 and might ascend further in the near future, but what will always remain associated with him will be the unflinching consistency, especially what's been displayed in the last 30 months or so.

Running now in full spate, Kohli might have to reconfigure his machine-like efficiency as he steps on the wrong side of 30. He may run out of steam, as Lara says.

Lara did it even at 35. So did Sachin. Kohli appears much fitter than his predecessors ever were, but groaning bones and sluggish reflexes might seep in later, if not soon.

Will he be able to adapt? Only time will tell.