The meteoric rise of Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me” - Ayn Rand

Virat Kohli’s rise in International cricket has been unprecedented. In the recently concluded series against the West Indies, he equaled the great Sir Vivian Richard’s record for reaching the fastest five thousand runs in one-day internationals, achieving this feat in just 114 innings. He also bagged the Man of the Series award for his consistent performances with the bat. Series after series of defining performances, he has now become the leading man of India’s ODI team.

Kohli’s awe-inspiring consistency in the ODI’s has been phenomenal. Ever since his foray into the Indian Cricket team six years ago, he has been enjoying a Bradmanesque run form and there’s been no stopping him. He has completed a hat-trick off thousand ODI runs in a calendar year (2011-13), a feat achieved by just four players before. He is also been the highest run-getter this season (2013) till date – a list which also boasts of three other Indians in the top-six.

With a staggering average of fifty eight in 114 innings, striking at close to run a ball is truly class apart. Even the ever consistent Micheal Bevan would have fallen short of this feat. The poise, the balance, the class, and the stroke play all feel a notch above. His timing is exquisite, the sound of the cherry hitting the sweet spot of the timber makes one go with “ahhh…beauty!!!” With a sound technique and sensible approach to his batting, he has been tumbling records all along the way.

With seventeen ODI tons already under his belt, and many more to come, he is being touted as one of the players, along with Alastair Cook, who could surpass Sachin’s record for the maximum number of centuries in ODI’s. Having one of the best conversation ratios (from 50’s to 100) in the history of the game makes this mammoth task feel a little less daunting. He also recently claimed the ‘Fastest ODI Hundred’ for India in fifty balls surpassing Virender Sehwag‘s record of a ton in sixty balls.

Kohli’s character as stayed true to his generation. He isn’t shy of speaking his mind, plays aggressively, and brings great energy and enthusiasm on the field. Yet his love for the game of cricket is what stands out. His never say die spirit, his hunger for runs and his immense maturity bears testimony to his Number One ranking in the latest ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen.

As it is truly said, ‘A Man’s character is the product of his premises’. Kohli’s knock of 90 in the Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in 2006, on the day of his father’s funeral spoke volumes about his commitment to the game. Quoting his mother, “Virat changed a bit after that day. Overnight he became a much more matured person. He took every match seriously. He hated being on the bench. It’s as if his life hinged totally on cricket after that day. Now, he looked like he was chasing his father’s dream which was his own too.”

Virat Kohli

“If you have worked on your technique properly, you can back yourself to hold your position and hit where you want to. ” – Virat Kohli

Test cricket is where the real character of a player is tested. Patience, pain, focus, temperament and shot selection are the prime attributes which separate the men from the boys in this arena. Here is where his knock of 75 against Australia in the second innings of the 3rd test match of the CB series, 2012 truly stands out. He had been vulnerable to shorter pitched deliveries. The Aussie media and the crowds were doing their best to wear him down, but the grit and the determination he showed to prove his detractors wrong were defined in this particular knock. He followed it up with his maiden Test hundred in the following test at Adelaide. Virat Kohli, the cricketer had finally arrived on the big stage.

It’s still early days for him in Test Cricket and he needs to improve his consistency to be a force to reckon with. The Fab Four era has now officially ended, and India will look up to him to fill the shoes of these giants, under whose guidance he found his feet at the international stage. India’s tour of South Africa starting next month will be his toughest challenge yet. This is where he’ll be facing his biggest demons under pacy conditions and a quality South African bowling.

As a likely captain of the future Indian Cricket team, he needs to remain calm and composed in tense situations. Being hot blooded and flaring up his emotions frequently would do him no good. He should only let his bat do the talking. He has already created a fear among the opposition bowlers by tormenting them and smashing the cherry all over the park. While he is around, sooner or later we can expect yet another Sharjah storm brewing up in some part of the world.