Virat Kohli has come a long way in the last three years. From being just another bright prospect, he has consolidated his place in the Indian team in all formats of the game, and his temperament, achievements and consistency even prompted the selectors and the management to make him MS Dhoni’s deputy at the Asia Cup.
Showing much maturity while talking to the media, Kohli spoke about his aggression, the captaincy issue, Dhoni, Yuvraj, Gambhir, Tendulkar and much more. Excerpts:
On his aggression: My aggression is my strength. It’s because of this that I have achieved so much on the field. I have always played cricket like this and will continue to do so. I just need to be careful about that fine line and not cross it.
On the debate over the Test captaincy: It is the selectors who will decide that, and I don’t want to speak about it. As for MS Dhoni, he has been a fantastic captain so far. He is one of the best captains India has ever produced. He has achieved almost everything and his record as a skipper is incomparable. I seriously do not understand why people are questioning him as a captain. In my view, he hasn’t done much wrong since he took over as India’s captain.
On Dhoni: I always look up to MS whenever I need advice. He is a great guy and helps everyone. It has been very good for me that I have played so much under his captaincy, as I have learned a lot from him. He is Captain Cool and has a lot to offer players like me.
On the BCCI and the Arjuna Award controversy: I haven’t played for records, rankings or awards. In fact, I wasn’t aware of all this. If you ask me, I am happy with my achievements so far and the way my career is going. If anyone in the team deserves this award the most, it’s Yuvraj Singh.
On Gautam Gambhir and the captaincy issue: Gautam Gambhir is a special player who can mould himself to the situation. Why is he only good enough for the Test captaincy? His record in other formats is equally good. He has shown his leadership qualities in T20 cricket in IPL-5. He is a great player in any format of the game. But I am not the one to decide on selection or the captaincy. It’s for the selectors to take a call on that.
On his bond with Yuvraj: He is one person I look to for advice. I talk to him regularly. He is an experienced player and has played a lot of international cricket. He always wants the best for his team-mates. Everybody is praying for his swift return to the team.
On Sachin Tendulkar and records: According to the records, I might have scored more hundreds than Sachin had at that age, but we all know that scoring 100 hundreds is a huge task. I don’t think anyone can do that in the near future.
On the style icons in the team: Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan are very well-dressed guys in the team. But everyone in the team has a sense of style, and I don’t think anyone needs a makeover.
On the BCCI and changes to the domestic format: I fully endorse the changes suggested by the technical committee led by Sourav Ganguly. If they are for the good of the domestic circuit, then why not?
On filling Rahul Dravid’s shoes: It will always be a big task to fill his shoes. Taking on Dravid’s role will definitely add pressure, but players come and go and we can’t help that. I am feeling confident about myself and hope I justify my place in the team.
On advertisements: It is a question I am often asked, but I don’t know why. I perform on the field and that’s why I get ads. The day I stop performing, brands will stop signing me. I sign ads depending on my time management. I don’t let my practice suffer. We need to maintain a balance. Instead of going to parties and wasting time, I prefer practising.
On the Euro Cup: I follow football a lot. Portugal is my favourite team. I loved watching Chelsea. I am looking forward to watching and playing against Drogba in the T20 Pepsi football match this Sunday.
On the Olympics: Every player in the team watches the Olympics. It’s a mega event and we follow the Indian players and athletes. I wish them all the best of luck, especially Saina and Mary Kom, and hope they do us proud by winning medals.
His favourite format – Tests, ODIs or T20s: It has to be Test matches. That’s the ultimate thing for a cricketer. Though I like all formats, playing Tests gives you the ultimate high. I used to hear that, until I experienced it in Australia.
By Rakesh Jha
Indian Sports News
