Virat Kohli, destined for greatness

Kohli took some time to find his feet in One-Day Internationals and Tests, but in both formats, once he got going, it became apparent quickly that he was one of the hottest young batsmen in the game, scoring big runs almost each time he walked out, especially in ODIs.

He started with tags of brash and arrogant tacked on, but Kohli has always been a deep thinker of the game, and in the past few years, it’s his mature, thoughtful and balanced side that has been on show. He comes across as someone who knows his cricket, things about his game and his captaincy, and is out to build a team for the future, one that he hopes can become a winner across different countries, conditions and climes.

As for his own game, there are few better batsmen in the world, Kohli is right up there among the best, with Test centuries already in Adelaide (thrice, including in both innings in the Test he led in), Johannesburg, Wellington, Melbourne, Sydney and Galle, some of the toughest tests an Indian batsman can ask for.

One of the few U-19 stars who has achieved great success in a relatively short international career, Kohli is destined for greatness. His ODI average is over 50 (over 166 innings) and the Test average is well over 40 from 41 games. And most impressive of all, as Rahul Dravid said of him, everytime there he has seen Kohli after some months, he has seen a better player, one who had been driven by his hunger for runs and success to iron out flaws, to seek a better way, and to constantly set the bar higher.