Saturday, Oct 22, 2011

Gulf News

Dubai Virat Kohli is fast blossoming into a world class batsman. Watching him in action, it’s not hard to wonder whether he might actually evolve into one of the most exciting players India has produced in recent years.

He has athleticism, technique, temperament and most important of all, the ability to deliver. All aspiring young players will want to have his skills.

Through some fine knocks, both on national team duty and in the Champions League, he has appeared to be in a class of his own.

Kohli’s batting is not only breathtaking at times, it is highly effective. Stylish and aggressive, his match-winning unbeaten 112 in front of his home crowd against England brought up his seventh One-day century. He may be just 22 years old but he has already piled up 2,496 runs from 66 matches at a hugely impressive strike rate of over 80.

To understand Kohli’s commitment and determination all one has to do is to talk to any one of his Delhi teammates. They will probably tell you this story.

Playing for dad

On December 18, 2006, Delhi were struggling at 59 for 5 against Karnataka’s whopping first-innings total of 446 in a Ranji Trophy match at the Feroz Shah Kotla grounds. It was the second day of the match and Delhi desperately needed a big partnership. Kohli was batting on 40 at stumps.

Early the next morning, Kohli’s father passed away. But instead of rushing back home to attend the funeral, Kohli opted to go out and to save his team. Keeping his focus, and admirably holding his emotions, Kohli went on to score 90 invaluable runs before he was dismissed ten short of the magical mark.

When he was once asked to comment on the incident after he clinched a place in the Indian team, he said: “The way I approached the game changed that day. I just had one thing in my mind — that I have to play for my country and live that dream for my dad.”

Kohli owes a lot to former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar, who was instrumental in selecting him for the Indian team. Vengsarkar, whom Kohli respectfully addresses as sir, was the chief selector when he scored heavily during the Emerging Players tournament in Australia.

“Dilip sir told me to keep scoring. I knew he had been observing me and I worked hard to live up to his expectations,” Kohli remarked.

Kohli was named in the Indian team for Sri Lanka in 2008 and he made his debut in the first One-day match of the series at Dambulla. He opened the innings with Gautam Gambhir in that match. Interestingly it is with Gambhir that he put on 203 runs in an unbeaten partnership at Delhi against England during the course of his 112.

Kohli has come a long way from being a 19-year-old teenager who was making his cricketing debut. He has gained experience and confidence. The result is that in June this year, he got to make his Test debut too in the West Indies.

Kohli is on the threshold of his climb to greatness and what is needed of him is a strong focus on his goal.

Party boy

Fame at an early age often comes with a lot of distractions and Kohli is being talked about as someone with a weakness for late night parties. His name has already been linked with a few actresses. He was also spotted partying with British actor/model Sofia Hayat at a famous London night club. So when he was recently asked about his party boy image, he said: “We work hard, so there’s no harm in enjoying a spot of fun,”

Kohli is already being talked about as India’s future captain. In 2008 he led India to Under-19 World Cup triumph. He has been absorbing the qualities of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whom he adores as the greatest captain. As a player he admires his idol Sachin Tendulkar.

While carrying Tendulkar on his shoulder after India’s 2011 World Cup triumph in Mumbai, Kohli produced the finest quote of the World Cup: “[Sachin Tendulkar] has carried the burden of the nation for 21 years so it’s time we carried him on our shoulders.” It revealed Kohli’s shrewdness as a thinker of the game and it’s now time for him to shoulder the responsibility of Indian batting.

By K.R. Nayar?Chief Cricket Writer

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