Virat Kohli Rejects the Title of “Most Non-Australian Australian”
In an interview, Virat Kohli rejected the label of being the “most Australian non-Australian.” He prefers to identify as a representative of a “new India” that faces challenges with courage. The reception towards Kohli in Australia has been unprecedented, with former players, media, and television stations focusing on his impact and his absence in the three test matches.
“Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time”.
Greg Chappell
Kohli feels comfortable being himself. “My personality and character represent the new India. It’s not a comparison with the Australian mentality. It’s about how we have begun to stand out as an Indian cricket team. My personality has always been like this,” Kohli stated.
Kohli acknowledged that Australia welcomes those who are successful on their lands. “When you perform well here, you earn the respect of the public. There is anticipation to see you play. The same goes for Jasprit Bumrah. The last time he performed very well here. The same goes for me, I have been coming for many years,” he added.The Indian team’s focus is on their collective performance. “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. We are focused on that. Everything external is not under our control. That’s good for the publicity of the series, but the focus remains on how well we can perform as a team here,” he explained.
Ajinkya Rahane, who will take over the leadership after Kohli’s departure, has a different personality, but the captain promised the same intensity. “We have had a lot of understanding and mutual respect over the years. We have had great partnerships batting together, based on trust and understanding of what the team needs. 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 do things,” Kohli said.
“The way we have 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 bought into the idea. They already know the template we play with and how we want to do things. We are absolutely on the same page,” he concluded.
Kohli trusts that Rahane will do a great job in his absence. “I feel this is his moment to step up and perform strongly as an individual and also as a captain,” he concluded.
