My first fading memory of Virat Kohli is of a young boy who batted with authority against boys from the Caribbean at Malaysia. Scoring tons at that level could be common, but not after just facing 74 balls in the innings. He wasn't just authoritative with the bat. He was extremely domineering on the field like an angry school pupil leader. But what struck me more than his hundred against West Indies, was the way he led his side in the final against South Africa. While he would celebrate a dismissal at one moment, he would immediately put his fingers on the lips the next moment. He would want his team to stay calm especially when they started smelling a great victory. And when his team crossed the line, he would let himself loose. By doing that, he would also go very close to the South Africans with a couple of stumps in hand and abuse them scornfully!
It was indeed the greatest second they've ever lived in their lives till then. Being crowned world champions is not a daily chore. But people who could do the lip-reading, started to criticize the way Indians and Kohli celebrated. For a long time, Kohli had to fight hard to get rid of the bad boy image. In fact, this season's T20-League has once again given us glimpses of that Virat Kohli, Indian cricket honestly doesn't want to have.
It is a great quality to possess a lot of fire in the belly. Most of Kohli's success at international arena is also because of this characteristic he possesses naturally. But Kohli's on-field behavior is the only thing that stands between him and the legend history books are waiting to talk about.
India's new generation has a totally different attitude towards their on-field conduct. They want to play hard cricket and involve themselves in a lot of sledging throughout the game. During the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, one person stood out with his celebrations every time an Aussie wicket fell right from day one at Chepauk. And when he was dismissed cheaply at Delhi, he was surrounded by a bunch of Aussies who returned the favor in his own backyard. That dismissal is indeed a reflection of what could happen with Indian fans when he goes through the troughs in his career. Would people who rejoiced in his success, be there when he would fail? Would they sympathize and would the most important decision makers give him another chance?
The one who lives by the sword, dies by it and no one better than Kohli puts those words in action. More often than not, Virat Kohli has had to deal most of the pleasantries all by his own. But the real issue begins when many have labeled him as Dhoni's successor. He has been clumsy under pressure situations. For Kohli to shout at Vinay Kumar at Chepauk, a fortnight ago gave me a glimpse of what might happen in the future. It is precarious to yell at your lead bowler for not bowling to the field. Of course, the decision in itself needs to be questioned with the mid-off up in the death overs. But in front of a huge crowd supporting the opponents, the last thing a bowler needs is to earn the wrath of his captain. Earlier in the same game, RP Singh dropped Badrinath at third man only to be abused by Kohli. At Hyderabad, when Mayank Agarwal fumbled in the final over, Kohli lost his cool once again.
Though the motive could be right, the way Kohli has handled crunch situations, especially outside Bangalore has left a lot of us desired. Now that a lot of away games are queued up RCB, Kohli's leadership skills could be tested more. Kohli so far has done the right thing at the wrong time. What we saw of him at Hyderabad and at Chennai was the man who became hot when the situation wasn't cool at all.
It is not the best thing for your captain to hurl an abuse when you're bowling. Your focus moves out of the immediate responsibility. Kohli did it before and today it was the turn of Gambhir to do it at Balaji. Hurling abuses and screaming at players, have hardly been successful tactics on the field. There could be different styles of leadership but that doesn't mean captains should use the stick in crunch situations. There could be an uneasy anarchy within the team also. No wonder, Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli thought they were in a boxing ring at Chinnaswamy stadium.
For a long time now, our generation of Indian cricket followers has been led by many fantastic leaders ever since Ganguly took the mantle. Each long serving Indian captain in the past 15 years or so has been an example of a leader who has handled tricky scenarios with a lot of balance and composure. The likes of Kohli and Gambhir, one of whom could take up the responsibility from Dhoni one day, have to work really hard to develop those qualities.
It is impossible to not compare, especially in India where a lot of media feeds on Indian cricket day in and day out. That is something Dhoni's successor should be prepared to take up his sleeves, especially when he is going to be a character like Virat Kohli. The hallmark of great players and captains has been their ability to remain calm under pressure.
Sir Viv has already decreed that he sees himself when he watches Kohli play on the field. If he can be unruffled, I am sure he is going to serve the country for a long time not just as a premier batsman but also as a terrific leader. We haven't seen the tactical nous of Kohli yet. But even if he is a tactical genius and makes every Indian proud on the world stage in the future - he might still not earn the common man's respect if he continues to throw tantrums on the field. It is a very delicate state of affair and it totally depends on how he handles them - whether to be the Virat Kohli he actually is or whether to be the Virat Kohli the team and the country needs.
source:cricbuzz
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