2) Virat Kohli - The heir apparent
The Delhi dasher has grown from an arrogant, cocky, albeit talented youngster to a mature world-beater in the 33 months since Sachin’s retirement. He has gone from strength to strength in all forms of the game. It is a period that saw him take over from MS Dhoni as the captain of Test side, a role has grown into and revelled in.
So how has he fared?
Matches (Post Sachin’s retirement) | Runs | Average | 100s | 50s |
24 | 2010 | 45.7 | 8 | 5 |
Rating: 8.5/10
Virat’s numbers make a strong case for him. Not only has he gone about his job diligently at #4, the position Sachin vacated, he has done so in his own fashion and is currently regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world.
With that said, it has not always been smooth sailing for Kohli. Plenty of weaknesses in his game have been exposed in this time period, especially in the seaming conditions in England. His habit of pushing at the ball outside his body has caused him trouble. Often, he is found shuffling across the crease and getting caught right in front, these have been areas that have been targeted by bowlers.
He endured a torrid time in England in the Summer of 2014, a series in which he did not manage a 50 in the four Tests played. Apart from that period, he has enjoyed success everywhere he has played. Centuries in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka and a double hundred in West Indies speak volumes of how much his game has grown.
However, like seen in the recently concluded third Test against the West Indies, the troubles of the Summer of 2014 still seem to plague him. He promoted himself to number 3 in the batting order and struggled. Going forward, it will be interesting to see how he manages to fix the flaws in his game and if he can manage captaincy while still maintaining a sterling batting record.
In the limited overs formats of the game, he might just be the finished product. In Test cricket, though, the questions still loom.
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