Despite scoring runs by the bucketful, Virat Kohli has been under scanner for his aggressive approach. The 24-year-old has scored 4575 runs in 113 matches at an impressive average of 49.72. The most significant number, however, is 15 - the number of centuries to his name that puts him 17th in the list of ton makers, says a report in Deccan Chronicle. The fact that Sri Lankan run machines Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have only one better in almost triple the matches than the Indian underlines the magnitude of Kohli's achievement in a short span of time. Even the likes of Virender Sehwag and Sir Viv Richards are behind the Delhi lad.
“I don't see anything wrong in his attitude. There is a thin line that separates controlled aggression and overdoing it. Kohli has a unique style. If he changes it, he will be just another cricketer,“ says WV Raman.
Former India opener Arun Lal, who has seen Kohli's rise at close quarters courtesy his commentary assignments, said: “Kohli is the Bradman of ODI cricket. If he continues at this rate, Kohli can beat a lot of ODI records.”
More than half his ODI runs - 2915 including nine centuries - have come while chasing which is testimony to Kohli's performance under pressure. In the last five years, Kohli's strike rate of 86.22 in 69 matches is the highest for any for any player who bat ted at number three in 20 or more matches. In that period, he also scored nine tons and 17 fifties. Over all, 14 out of is 15 centuries have paved the way for India's victories -another record in the last five years.
“What Kohli is doing is nothing short of extraordinary . He knows how to build an innings. He doesn't go after the leather from the word go and he has been consistent,“ said WV Raman.
According to a report in Mumbai Mirror, a 2012 study conducted by a team from the University of British Columbia found that those of its participants who displayed dominating qualities had greater influence over others and were more likely to be picked up for leadership positions. The study, which was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, said that aggressive, bullying managers are more likely to rise to the top because their dominance makes them stand out.
Which might explain Kohli's career growth - after leading the Under 19 Indian team to a victory in the March 2008 ICC Cricket World Cup, he made his ODI debut with the Indian team in August 2008 and became vice-captain in 2012. This year, he stepped into captain M S Dhoni's shoes when the latter had to take time off from the team's campaigns due to a hamstring injury. But Kohli has been warned even by Dhoni to calm down. "He (Dhoni) is someone who is always around that calm line...He keeps telling me that once I stay around that line I would keep improving as a cricketer," Kohli said in a 2012 interview.
Meanwhile a report in The Times Of India India's selectors have picked a strong batting order and a relatively inexperienced bowling attack for the for India A tour, with the aim of giving the young batsmen a feel of the conditions that they will come across when MS Dhoni's men take on Graeme Smith & Co in a full series later this year.
“This tour will give fans and selectors a sense of where Indian cricket is heading. How will the likes of Pujara, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane and Murali Vijay perform in testing conditions against the screaming pace of Kyle Abbott and Marchant de Lange? Will Rohit Sharma finally stake a claim in the Test squad, seven years after making his T20 and ODI debut? Will Suresh Raina stand up against the barrage of short-pitched deliveries that are waiting to greet him and finally get the monkey off his back?,” says the report, addign that there are questions aplenty and the onus is clearly on the young cricketers to answer them.