Virat Kohli : The Showman of Indian Cricket
There is a world of footballers which is filled with swagger and flamboyance, both on the field and off the field. Then there are lives of Indian cricketers where one is expected to be modest, humble and politically correct all the time. Football has seen many players who not only play well but went on to be fashion icons and have the kind of aura about them which made them a brand that everyone looks up to.
Also read: Virat Kohli Stats: Climbs to the top of the list with most 50s in T20Is
Beckham, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic are few players who fall into this category. They not only entertain people all over the world with their game but are also style icons and are loved by everyone. Their fame makes even the best in Hollywood envy of them.
Indian cricket has seldom seen such players. Sachin, Dravid were great players but not style icons and definitely not the ones who would like to show off. Yuvraj Singh to some extent fits in both categories. Dhoni, on the other hand, was successful both as a player and as an ambassador of many brands but we don’t associate flair and “I am the best attitude” with Dhoni.
Cricket has changed big time post the introduction of T20 cricket and so have the players. Indian cricket has found one such player who is not only the best in his game but also has unmatchable flair and attitude: the name of the player is Virat Kohli.
“Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him”
When Virat came in team India in 2008, a little bit of Delhi’s flair and attitude was visible but he was nowhere close to what he is now; perfect in batting, perfect in style, perfect in attitude. Hundreds of article have been written on his exceptional ability to chase targets and his century making spree, so I would like to dive into other aspects of Kohli.
Virat Kohli is much prouder than what suits to a cricket star in India, or maybe not! He loves the all the attention, he loves the camera, he has tattoos all over his body, has a different hairstyle for different seasons, has a perfect beard, he also has a fit body and six pack abs. Not long ago, he was dating a superstar girl from Bollywood and unlike others he didn't hide his love for her.
He publicly acknowledged his love for her, through his famous flying kiss celebrations. All this was never expected from an Indian cricketer. He is expected to be humble and down to earth guy who lets his game do all the talking and here is Kohli doing exactly opposite of what is prescribed.
There is one famous line that can be associated with Kohli: “Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him”. His performances and his antics make sure that he grabs people’s attention.
When you see Kohli, it’s very unlike a typical Indian attitude of “being humble” and “let the bat do the talking” attitude. He is in the face of opposition all the time and reminds them that he is gonna beat the hell out of them. Ganguly was a player that came close to having such attitude, but he was not as frequent as Kohli is, in picking opponents and sometimes even teammates and fans.
The Aussie in Kohli
It seems Kohli has more of the Aussie DNA than an Indian DNA so to say. Much like Ricky Ponting, Hayden and other great Australians, he backs his attitude with great performances. When he tells a bowler that he is going to hit him all over the park, he means business and he does it more often than not. It makes the bowlers look like lesser mortals compared to the immortal brilliance of Kohli.
James Faulkner has got a first-hand experience of Kohli’s wrath, when in the recently concluded India-Australia ODI series Faulkner tried to sledge him, Kohli came back with a perfect reply and after the series, went on to score three half-centuries in all the three matches of the following T20 series.
Kohli represents the youth of India
A decade or two earlier his behaviour would have been branded as obnoxious but for this generation, he represents the young India that is no longer under hangover of colonial supremacy. He represents the young India that doesn’t like the tag of underdogs or aspiring champions, they are impatient for success and see champions tag as their well-deserved right.
No one can forget Ganguly’s shirt-waving in the Lord’s balcony or Venkatesh Prasad’s send-off to Aamir Sohail. These moments excite us and give us happiness and Kohli gives us such moments in almost every match. He goes out, pricks the ego of opposition with his words and with his antics and then follows up with great performances and wins the match for India. The more the pressure, the better Kohli performs. He never gives up and takes responsibility for taking the team across the finishing line.
His frustration with his own failures and on his teammates’ failures, doesn’t have a negative connotation. His emotions get the better of him because he is passionate about the game, passionate for the win and wants his teammates to do well. As a captain, he expects the same level of passion and zeal from his players. His attitude visibly rubs off on the players as well, which is evident from a much changed and aggressive attitude of team India under his captaincy.
His attitude had many critics in early stages of his career but slowly and gradually he won over them with his performances and with his respect for the game. He is the Showman of Indian Cricket. He has become what Sachin Tendulkar was for the previous generation: an Inspiration. He is Sachin Tendulkar of this generation with the flair of Cristiano Ronaldo and the attitude of Muhammad Ali.
“I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want.”
~ Muhammad Ali