Virat Kohli : A modern day Marvel
Recently in the MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture, Jason Roy said "Virat is an imposing batsman, a good athlete but we are not scared of him". Tamim Iqbal, the Bangladeshi opener feels that every time he sees Kohli walking out to bat, he knows that the Indian will score a hundred. Cricket Pundits like Ian Chappel, Nasser Hussain and Wasim Akram have showered praises on him. Michael Vaughan has even gone on the record to say that "Kohli is from a different planet, he is playing the game at a standard I've not seen many playing at."
What makes him so special that people cannot just stop raving about him? Some of the aspects of the game which looks tough even for a legendary cricketer, seems like oxygen to Kohli.
His penchant for chases is a well known fact, but the way in which he executes it day and in day out is a point to marvel. Whether the target is beyond 350 or it is 250, he has the adaptability to mould his game as per the opposition and the target. The best part here is the opposition captain also knows his formula, but finds himself helpless.
Virat usually starts with a cover drive or two, runs hard between the wickets, steals the cheeky singles for his partner, consolidates the start and once the run rate is within striking distance, switches to an overdrive mode and finishes the game in style.
The other aspect that Virat has is the art of scoring runs in different formats. Be it Test cricket, One Day cricket or T-20, his method doesn't change. He is not the one who plays all the dinky shots to maximize run-scoring opportunities. Virat's game is built upon orthodox cricketing shots played in the "V", followed by powerful horizontal bat shots and strong bottom handed flicks. He plays in a similar way in all the 3 formats and his average in the high 50s is a reflection of his inhuman consistency.
Virat's focus which is followed by an unflinching work ethic makes him achieve these superhuman feats. He has transformed himself physically from his chubby and cherubic looks and seems a lot more stronger and fitter. This has helped him in scoring big double hundreds in Test cricket with consummate ease. This has urged his teammates and his peers around the world to focus on fitness, which is being seen as the mantra to make it big.
With 10000 runs in ODI cricket, 6000 plus runs in Test cricket and over 2000 runs in T-20s, Virat has embarked on a journey which no other cricketer in the modern era dares to think of. He has 61 centuries in a little over 350 International matches and the scary part is he's only 29.
Virat is the lone challenger for Tendulkar's 100 centuries and 34000 runs. He has already ticked off 18000 runs and has a good 7-8 years to go in his career. The speed at which he is breaking records for fun, it wont be surprising if he goes past Tendulkar's superhuman feats in no time.