Virat Kohli: The Representative of “New India” in Cricket
In an environment reminiscent of the Australian attitude, Virat Kohli has rejected the label of being the “most Australian non-Australian”. Instead, he prefers to identify as a symbol of a “new India”, which faces all challenges with courage.
The reception Kohli has received on this tour of Australia has been unprecedented. Former test players, newspapers, and television stations have focused their attention on Kohli and the impact his absence will have on the three test matches he will not play.
Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time.
Greg Chappell
Kohli feels comfortable being himself. “I’ve always been myself,” Kohli said. “My personality and character represent the new India. That’s how I see it. It’s not a comparison to the Australian mentality.”
“This is how we have started to stand out as the Indian cricket team. My personality has always been like this from day one. This represents the new India, where we want to face challenges and move forward with optimism and positivity, making sure we are ready for any challenge that comes our way.”
Kohli acknowledges that Australia welcomes with open arms those who perform well on its soil. “I have been touring this place for many years, and it is a wonderful place to play cricket,” Kohli stated. “When you perform well here, you earn the respect of the public. Obviously, there will be anticipation and conversation about wanting to see you play. The same goes for Jasprit Bumrah. The last time he performed very well here. Obviously, there will be anticipation and excitement to see him bowl. The same goes for me, as I have been coming here for many years.”Virat Kohli tiene varios problemas que abordar antes de la serie de pruebas.
AFP vía Getty Images“For us, the most important thing is that the general public wants to see India perform as a team, which was the highlight of our last tour. That’s where we are focused. All external things are not under our control. That’s great for the publicity of the series, but the real and simple focus remains on how well we can perform as a team here.”
Knowing the Indian team, the others will be happy to go unnoticed and let Kohli take all the attention. This also applies to the man who will take over the team’s leadership when Kohli leaves. Ajinkya Rahane has a completely different personality from Kohli, but the Indian captain promised similar intensity once he leaves.
“We have had a lot of understanding and mutual respect over the years,” Kohli said of his vice-captain. “We have had great partnerships batting together, which are based on trust and understanding of what is needed for the team. Jinks has done a tremendous job in the two practice matches. He seems to be very calm and knows the strengths of our team and how we should approach things.”
“Actually, the way we’ve played cricket has been a collective effort of the entire team. It’s a cultural effort and doesn’t just depend on me, who strategizes and presents things to people. The whole team has been involved. They already know the template we play with and how we want to do things. We are absolutely on the same page.”
“I’m sure he’ll do a tremendous job in my absence, but the focus is on the time he’s here to provide captaincy and leadership and performances as a player as best he can, and from then on I’m pretty sure Jinks will do a tremendous job. I’ve said before that I feel this is his time to step up and perform strongly as an individual and also as a captain.”
