Nobody has ever questioned Virat Kohli's prowess with the bat, but when it comes to his on-field aggression, he hasn’t shown that kind of maturity needed for being promoted to the role of being the deputy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. But by Kohli’s own admission, he is trying hard to change his attitude on the advice and company of Captain Cool.
Virat Kohli said, “I have been speaking to MS (Dhoni) a lot about it. He is one who doesn't sink or go above that line. He is someone who is always around that calm line. It is important to learn such things from such important people,” says a report in The Indian Express.
Meanwhile, the Times of India reports that Virat Kohli has been on the express track to fame and fortune, but success has also brought increased scrutiny of his arrogant attitude and brash behaviour on the field. As he continues to grow into the role of India’s next big batting hope, the 23-year-old is keen on sorting out areas other than his batting where he could slip up. To learn to steady his nerves, Kohli is now taking tips on ‘anger management’ from — who else — India’s ‘captain cool’ MS Dhoni!
Kohli says this realization dawned on him after being made the vice-captain of the Indian team. “When I was made the vice-captain, some important people told me that people would be watching me now and I would have to change my aggression,” Kohli said after his office team ONGC reached the final of the Lala Raghubir Hot Weather tournament here on Sunday.
“I have learnt from my mistakes and reacted the way I shouldn’t have. But I don’t intend to that. Sometimes, people see the reaction and don’t see how it has built up. I’m a young guy. I’m only learning,” said Kohli, according to TOI report.
The 23-year-old Delhi player was docked 50 percent of his match fee during the Sydney Test for showing his middle finger to heckling fans and his aggressive, over-the-top, celebrations on reaching a fifty or hundred. But the selectors pinned their faith in his leadership qualities by naming him Dhoni's deputy for the Asia Cup in Dhaka, says a report in Hindustan Times.
According to HT, the change in Kohli’s attitude for better has come since he scored 75 in the Perth Test and followed it up with his maiden Test hundred in Adelaide. “I stopped reading papers. In the first two matches, I was getting influenced by what was being written and said about me. I just blocked that out of my system. I kept telling myself I have eight international hundreds which can't be a fluke.”
Call him a senior batsman in the team, and the 23-year-old retorts, "Please, I am not a senior batsman in this team. Good performances in a mere couple of seasons don't make anyone a senior batsman. A person becomes senior batsman when he has performed consistently for six or seven years."
By his own admission, Virat had put a lot of pressure on himself prior to the IPL after a great international season. "To be honest, I was feeling the pressure more during the first half of IPL. I thought that I have set certain standards and I have to live up to it. It shifted me away from game plan. Latter half (of IPL), I was back on track.