Virat Kohli - Too hot isn't cool at all!

“There are two kinds of angry people in this world: explosive and implosive….” And then there is Virat Kohli – The angry young man of Indian cricket.

It all began with a cheeky single. The batsman ran for a quick single, the bowler stood his ground, there was a collision and bang, and the fireworks started. In a game that features Chris Gayle carting his opposition to all parts of the ground, very rarely does anything else becomes the talking point. However, two of India’s cricketing superstars decided to have an on-field tête-à-tête that nudged the Gayle-storm off the headlines.

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir are India’s leading batsmen and perhaps two of the biggest motormouths in the modern era. If Gambhir has been at loggerheads with the Aussies and the Pakistanis before, Kohli has had his bit of drama with the crowd and umpires. Over the years, India were labelled as a team of “good boys” who hardly retorted when the opposition had a thing or two to say. Not anymore!

Yesterday, when Gambhir went for the run and collided with Henriques, things were said. Gambhir responded with a mouthful and a fabulous innings, but it didn’t end there. More drama followed when Virat Kohli sliced his shot to deep point that resulted in an easy catch. While he was headed for the dugout, someone gave him a send off and that was enough to flare up the situation. It was a bad shot and Kohli should have left the ground. Instead, both Kohli and Gambhir, the two Delhi boys, charged at each other, showing off their imperious vocabulary. These were the captains of their respective sides, by the way.

When asked about the spat after the game, both captains shrugged it off with cliches like ” heat of the moment” and “it happens on the field”. It made for great television but it definitely wasn’t a good sign for things to come. Social media exploded with “Delhi ke bande” connotations, but that didn’t take away much from the vulgarity of the situation. It looked ugly and Virat Kohli should now realise that his show of aggression is hurting his brand. This is not the first time that Kohli has got involved in an on-field incident. The finger act in Australia and his over-the-top celebrations have already booked him trips to the match referee’s office; but now, he’s perilously close to crossing the line. Not only in this IPL, but even in the Test series against Australia did he show his displeasure at umpiring decisions that didn’t go his way.

Cricket is a tough sport and the cricketers are under the hammer constantly. Emotions run high because the stakes are higher and there is an understandable increase in the adrenaline levels under these circumstances. No one wants to lose and the extra effort to win is visible. The last ball finishes and super overs have turned every game into a pressure cooker situation.

According to Adam Gilchrist -

“I think when it gets so aggressive in the sporting arena, it’s a sign of respect. You feel threatened by an opponent so you play harder and it might lead to heated confrontation…”

True. One has to play hard to win; and to win against a quality opposition, one tries that much harder. But where does one draw the line?

Sledging has always been a part of cricket and if used intelligently, it’s effective too. The key, however, is to identify the moment and the players because different cricketers react differently. Some players like Tendulkar and Ponting respond by raising their game, while a few buckle under the continuous badgering. The right things said at the right time can crumble a player’s confidence; but just swearing at someone is neither effective nor acceptable.

At the dawn of the new millennium, a certain Indian captain decided to shed the “good boy” cloak and started fighting fire with fire. He inspired a new generation of cricketers who started “giving it back” to the opposition. Steve Waugh was miffed, Ricky Ponting was challenged and Shahid Afridi was taught a lesson. However, Andre Nel suffered the worst when he got a live demonstration of Sreesanth doing his version of the Kathakali in cricketing whites. We, the Indian cricket fans, loved it because Indian cricket made a monumental shift from the PG-certified behaviour to the Attitude Era.

Today’s Indian cricketers have grown up watching India play some of its best matches under the leadership of Sourav Ganguly. He was a no-nonsense man and hardly took a step back. Whether it was making Waugh wait for the toss or going topless at Lords, Dada has never stopped himself from expressing his emotions. However, he used it judiciously and never crossed his line. What he did was the need of the hour because Indian cricket needed a face-lift. He was tough but never abusive.

The next man in, MS Dhoni, is a complete opposite. He is calm, composed and rarely shows his emotions on the ground. He believes in controlled aggression and channels his anger into his game rather than venting it out on his opponent. He leads a team of youngsters who are filled with enthusiasm and passion. Cricket has changed. It’s more competitive and so the players are much more aggressive. They often lose their cool and do things that hurts the eye, but MS Dhoni’s calm demeanor keeps them check.

Virat Kohli is the best of this pack of young men and is the favourite to ascend MS Dhoni’s throne. His skill and his temperament has never been under the scanner, but now his leadership is being tested. His captaincy of the the Royal Challengers this season will give the selectors a perfect sneak peek of whether he’s fit enough to flip the coin donning that Indian blazer. He doesn’t need to win the IPL to prove his credential as a captain; however, he has to make his mark and stand out as a leader.

He’s aggressive, passionate, wants to win and his team will play firebrand cricket. However, there is a very thin line between being tough and being abusive. He should by now realise that being too hot isn’t that cool; because at the end of the day, he’s competing on a cricket field and not in a fight club. Shoulder charges, swearing, screaming at the opposition might make you look tough, but it takes a lot more than that to lead a team to victory.