Virat Kohli: The Representative of the “New India” in Cricket
In a statement that resonates with the spirit of Australian cricket, Virat Kohli has refused to be labeled as the “most Australian non-Australian.” Instead, he prefers to identify as a symbol of the “new India,” which faces challenges with determination. The reception Kohli has received on this tour of Australia has been unprecedented. Former test players, media, and television channels have focused their attention on Kohli and the impact of his absence in the three test matches he will not play.However, Kohli feels comfortable being himself. “I have always been myself. My personality and character I think represent the new India. That’s how I see it. It’s not a comparison with the Australian mentality,” Kohli stated. “For me, it’s about how we’ve started to establish ourselves 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 prepared for any challenge.” Kohli acknowledged that Australia, as a country, welcomes 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. When you perform well here, you earn the respect of the public. Obviously, there will be expectation and conversation about wanting to see you play. Similarly with Jasprit [Bumrah] as well. The last time he was here, he performed very well. Obviously, there will be expectation and excitement around him to see him bowl. Similarly to me, I have come here for many years.”“Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time.”
Greg Chappell
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 as well. Our focus remains on that. All external things are not under our control. That’s great for the series’ publicity, but the real focus is simply 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 is true for the man who will take over the team when Kohli leaves. Ajinkya Rahane has a completely different personality from Kohli, but the India captain promised a similar intensity once he leaves. “We have had a lot of understanding and mutual respect over the years. We have had great partnerships batting together, which is 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 composed and knows the strengths of our team and how we should do things,” Kohli said. Actually, the way we’ve played our cricket has been a collective effort of the entire team. It’s a cultural effort and not just because I’m strategizing and presenting things to people. It’s the whole team that has joined in. 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 also do a tremendous job in my absence, but the focus remains on the time I’m here to provide captaincy, leadership, and player performances as best I can, and from there, I’m pretty sure Jinks will do a tremendous job. I’ve said it before, I feel like this is his moment to really step up and perform strongly as an individual and also as a captain.”
