Let Kohli Set The Tune For His Song

Sports - Virat Kohli
Image used for representation only. Source: Twitter

If you look up the meaning of Virat in the dictionary, it will show up as  “very big, giant proportioned”.  

That may not fit the vision of Virat Kohli physically, but in terms of ability most definitely. Now that he has got another record in his pocket – the fastest to 10,000 runs in one-day cricket – where is he heading to in the future? The mind boggles at the thought.

Comparisons to the great Sachin Tendulkar and other giants of the game are rife at the moment. There is speculation that he may break all the milestones set by Sachin Tendulkar and other greats and become the next cricket legend in the world.

Kohli can bask in all these accolades and take a bow. But he must keep his feet firmly on the ground as he has done so far because fans are known to be fickle and critics opportunistic.

The Indian captain is on a high in this current period and the good thing is that he has ridden his good form to perfection. He has maximised his run scoring abilities and there have been only rare let ups.

All the doubts about whether he can play well in England or any other venue abroad have been laid to rest in one stoke.

He is in the kind of form which was displayed by Tendulkar in the 1990s. There is a total domination of the bowling from the start.

Add to that is the willingness to scrap and put his head down and graft. This is the sign of a truly great player which Kohli can claim to be.

But stop comparing him to Tendulkar and other greats. Kohli is in a league of his own and let him be there.

These constant comparisons can prove detrimental in the long run. In a country obsessed with statistics, irrelevant figures can prove to be a talking point and judgements will be pronounced over that.

There are some who claim that he does not have enough substantial partnerships with the lower order and that he only enjoys batting with the top three.

This is the kind of rubbish which many will swallow and question Kohli’s ability.

Does it really matter when you look at the big picture? The fact is Kohli got a hundred which helped India build up a score. There are 10 others who are also in the team and expected to contribute.

Such absurd statistics should not be given any attention. Of course, there are many critics, of the armchair variety, who use this kind of rubbish to stoke debates.

During Kohli’s earlier tour to England, there was so much talk about Kohli’s weakness outside the off stump after he failed miserably in England. It had become a national obsession.

They took sadist delight whenever Kolhi was dismissed, caught in the slips. Similarly, today Mahendra Singh Dhoni is feeling the heat over his poor batting form while his great wicketkeeping abilities are conveniently forgotten.

Kohli has got over all that now. He is a great cricketer today who has fully lived up to the expectations of the selectors and fans.

But leave him alone. Let him write his own script and set the tune for his song.

Babu Kalyanpur
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