Virat Kohli’s dynamism and whether he could become the next ‘Little Master’

Virat Kohli is undisputedly one of the most exciting batsmen in world cricket today. He is also India’s best player in contemporary times where he has managed to notch up runs with such consistency and ferocity, that he leaves the conformists bemused. His 13th ton against Sri Lanka in the 4th ODI of the Micromax is an astonishing fact, given that he has just played 89 games for his country.

Yet to compare this Indian superstar with the inimitable Sachin Tendulkar may be a touch premature. One should however, not by shy of drawing such comparisons as statistics actually go in favor of the predilection that Kohli could be the next Tendulkar. Tendulkar has a total of 49 hundreds in ODI cricket in a total of 463 games that he has played for India. Kohli’s current average is 52 and in just 89 games he has notched up 13 centuries already. Like Tendulkar, Kohli’s numerous innings have a strange sense of dexterity to them. He works the ODI game out as if it is a mathematical equation. If India slumps to 10 for 2 in five overs, they could easily rocket to 221 for 4 at the end of the 40th, courtesy Kohli’s efforts. The flashing wrists, the swashbuckling hitting and the tremendous balance can be compared with Tendulkar who is a mirrored image of Don Bradman in the eyes of the Don himself.

For Kohli, no patch has been as purple as the one he is riding through at the moment. After guiding an Indian side to an Under 19 World Cup title in 2008, Kohli managed to cement himself and defy the odds on many occasions after he received an international call up. Oppositions all around the world already consider his wicket to be the most prized in the absence of Tendulkar and with the Little Master continuing to near his retirement, the focus is shifting to the young megastar, in a land which worships its cricketers.

In terms of his temperament, Kohli always brays with excitement and is brash enough to exhibit his emotions after yet another feat comes his way. His critics attribute this to poor attitude and narcissism. Yet his supporters claim that playing the game with aggression and passion is the right way to go about it in consumerist times. Contrastingly, Kohli has never borne the brunt of what some of the modern day greats had to endure, prior to their legendary status today. Sachin Tendulkar had stemmed from humble beginnings and had to bear with a blood soaked shirt in his very first innings for his country, before the runs began to flow off his bat. His name became etched into the record books straight after another milestone passed for the Little Master. Tendulkar’s ability to laboriously toil to where he stands couldn’t have been more dissimilar to Kohli’s rise through the ranks. The latter almost pulverizes bowling attacks with such ease that he seldom seems flustered at all.

Kohli’s future can be considered as safe in many ways and insecure in others. His status as a modern day superstar star, rivals with the likes of MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar in India. Yet the nature of the game is such that it might take its toll in an otherwise fantastic career so far. Kohli hasn’t faced the harsh realities of the game such as enduring a sudden slump of form or being left out due to unconvincing performances. In a game where ups and downs are inevitable, the consistency exhibited by Kohli, is almost bound to be stymied in one way or the other.

The problem for oppositions however, is that Kohli fancies his chances more against them as compared to them getting him out on many occasions. There were times when Tendulkar’s feet weren’t moving properly and a few whispers about him ageing began to surface. Kohli on the other hand, has the age factor behind him and continues to play prodigiously. All that is left for him to do is to understand the responsibility of guiding his team in tough situations and keeping his emotions in check. Tendulkar on the other hand, has the experience and level headedness to be rated as an all time legend.