As of now, Virat Kohli is the Greatest Batsman in the world-Saurav Ganguly.
He is just an unbelievable batsman! So no need to say anymore -Brian Lara.
Let us understand how Virat Kohli became The Greatest of All Time.
1. Virat Kohli-The Phenomenon
Virat Kohli’s scores in his debut domestic, ODI, and Test matches, are 10, 12, and 19 runs, respectively. Today, he is one of the greatest Batsmen in the world. So far (until June 2022), he has scored 43 and 27 centuries in ODI and Tests, respectively. A total of 70 100s, and the King is awaiting his 71st century. Apart from that, he has four centuries in IPL for the Royal Challengers Bangalore franchise, in one season of IPL in 2016, which helped him score 973 runs in 16 matches with an average of 81.08. Seeing him bat like a warrior, comparisons had always been drawn between him and other cricketing legends Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, and Sir Viv Richards. Still, Virat has always managed to steer clear of it. He is an entirely different man when he enters the 22 yards ground. He walks into the cricket ground like a gladiator who wishes to be the last man standing.
2. The Dedication
“If I work 120% daily, I am answerable to no one.” -Virat Kohli. His words signify his intensity (working 120%), always giving more than usual, and consistency (every day). He is undoubtedly one of those few people who can do both. He is the living proof of the lethal concoction of CONSISTENCY ALONG WITH INTENSITY. He has passion for the game from the age of 3. His limitless love for the game fuels his consistent intensity. When the result is different from your expectation, we might tend to feel guilty and disappointed in ourselves, knowing that we could put more effort. But, on the other hand, when you put your best foot forward, even when the results are not what you imagined, you might not be disappointed in yourself.
3. Unbreakable Relationship With Mentor
Mentorship, is the guidance provided by a mentor, especially an experienced person. This kind of relationship doesn’t require age, but all that matters is the desire to learn something. Virat is a living meaning of desire. He always wanted to take Indian cricket to greater heights. When M.S. Dhoni retired as a Test Captain, India was at 7th position in the ICC ranking. Virat took the captaincy saying, “ I want to see the Indian team dominate for the next five years.” From 2017 until 2021 Indian team dominated test cricket occupying 1st position in the ICC ranking. The mentor plays that role in one’s life where he can essentially drive the growth of their followers in the right direction. As a coach, Rajkumar has given a gem for Indian cricket. Virat saw his success as a captain of the U19 Indian team and winning the world cup at the age of 19, and it is easy to get swayed by fame and success. But, Rajkumar kept Virat’s feet firmly grounded and protected him from distractions off-field.
4. The Commitment
Most people often tend to judge the success of an individual as luck and don’t care about the hard work they had to put. Virat was also evaluated. Whenever he scored centuries consistently and added runs in his board, spectators believed that was all a matter of luck. There was an incident that proves Virat is not only strong with the bat, but also mettle when he decided to play on the day of his father’s demise. That day he chose cricket as his life. That act of significant commitment to the team and his innings was crucial. He was batting unbeaten at 40 the previous night. He lost his father at 3 a.m. The following day he resumed his innings, scored 90, and went to his father’s funeral. He had chosen cricket as his life and was willing to go any distance to achieve his dreams.
5. The Passion
There is nothing called overnight success. To enjoy the sweetness of success, you got to earn it, work for it, and improve your skills consistently. Similarly, look at Virat over the years. He worked on his skills and improved with every game. Take his performance in IPL over the years. In season 1, he scored 165 runs in 13 matches with an average of 15. But ended up as the first one to reach 4000 runs in IPL. In a single season in 2016, he set a record of 973 runs in 16 matches with an average of 81.08, including four 100s and seven 50s.
6. Getting Out Of Comfort Zone
“ Virat Kohli is the best shorter version batsman that I had ever seen. He is an absolute genius.” -Kumar Sangakkara. Never be satisfied with what you have achieved. Keep adapting and improving. Virat can understand and adjust to the situation quickly. He used to play as a right-arm fast bowler when he played in the U19 World cup. But then he evolved to be an off-spinner. He even managed to get a wicket in the first delivery of his T20I career in 2011. They were playing against England when India lost to them in the Test series. This T20 match was considered an opportunity to regain India’s pride. India managed to put a score of 170, and England managed to score 58 runs in the powerplay. Then, M. S. Dhoni chooses to toss the ball to Virat with Kevin Pietersen on crease. Pietersen decides to attack the bowler. Virat delivery slid on the leg side, and Dhoni executed a successful stumping. Virat became the first player in T20Is to pick a wicket in a delivery that was zero.
7. Believing In Yourself
Virat was sold to RCB in the auction of the 1st IPL season in 2008. Though he was selected after his success in U19, his first few seasons didn’t go well. In the beginning, Virat played at different positions for RCB, and that didn’t go as expected. But in 2011, RCB decided to change the team, and only retained Virat as their team captain; before, Virat accepted captaincy, he made sure that he would only play at the 3rd position. As the franchise accepts his terms, Virat led RCB for 11 years, 2011-2021. Under his captaincy RCB reached finals thrice. He has an unconditional towards this franchise and its supporters. He has always remained loyal to them. “I am never leaving this team.” said Virat Kohli.
8. Extreme Self-Discipline
Excellence demands lots of sacrifice and control. At the moment, Virat is one of the fittest athletes in the game. But in the beginning, when he played for India in 20008, he was a little chubby boy, and Dhoni used to call him Cheeku. When he started to hit the gym and noticed an improvement in his ability to sprint, he changed his diet plans. He is so conscious about his food. He avoids junk and drinks only mineral water. He goes to the gym five days a week and works for 2 hours. Apart from this, he also plays other outdoor games as a part of his fitness.
9. The Never Give Up Attitude
Virat is a player with a great attitude. He is aggressive and expressive on the field. He loves to celebrate his victory with class. He is also a consistent hard worker. His comebacks are always great in the past. In 2011, Virat was criticized, “ Test cricket in England isn’t his cup of tea.” He got bashed. Four years later, he goes to England. At Edgbaston in 2014, he scores his 1st test century and celebrates it with a roar and kissing his engagement ring. In his 48 innings against England, he has 1,960 runs with five centuries and nine half-centuries.
10. The Aggression
Before Virat took the captaincy of the Indian team in formats, India didn’t have many victories in foreign soils. The Indian team was unbeatable at home grounds. But they were bullied overseas. Virat captained the Indian team in all three formats from 2013 to 2022. He was considered a successful captain with 135 wins over 213 matches. His win percentage is 63.38. He is the most successful test captain with 39 wins off 66 tests. Under his captaincy, India never lost a test series on home soil. Virat not only battles with his bat, he is involved in verbal conflicts. He has an attitude of giving them right back what they give you.
