As reported previously here on The Newsdoor Express, Virat Kohli just became T20 cricket’s highest run-scorer. Kohli now has 5,218 runs from 170 matches, supplanting Suresh Raina, whose 5,121 runs in 183 matches marked the previous record. Unfortunately, Virat’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) recently lost out on its bid for IPL contention, putting a slight dent in his reputation as a brilliant – or at least effective – batsman. Some pundits are now questioning the Dehli native’s leadership, especially heading into the ICC World Cup of Cricket.
Still, Kohli’s talent is undeniable, and he will be key to India’s drive for a third World Cup that would put the Men in Blue second only to Australia in total titles. Looking through sports betting platforms across the internet, you’ll find in fact that India is just about the odds-on favourite to win it all this year, alongside England. Both teams are coming in with lots of momentum, with India having recently registered an historic Test win in Australia and a pair of ODI victories in New Zealand. England, meanwhile, can trace its momentum back a bit further, having arguably looked like the world’s best cricket team over the past four years.
For Kohli though, the World Cup won’t just be about India’s chances, but also personal redemption. He was remarkable all tournament long in 2011, when India won the Cup. In 2015, however, Kohli could not sustain his fiery form early, getting dismissed for three in India’s quarterfinal win over Bangladesh, and then getting dismissed for one off 13 balls in the Men in Blue’s semifinal loss to Australia. And now, Kohli is grappling with the aforementioned questions about his leadership in light of RCB’s early exit in the Indian Premier League. For many pundits, such as K.R. Nayar of Gulf News, the right-hander’s failure to lead his team is a black mark for the decorated batsman.
Diving in on the issue, Nayar argues that being a superior talent isn’t enough to be a great leader. He notes, “[Kohli] needs to learn the art of transforming a team into a winning combination when things go wrong and motivate his players controlling his histrionics on the field.” Such criticism rings true to some extent, given that Kohli’s “histrionics” as RCB’s captain have been well documented. He does have a tendency to show his frustrations loudly, and such displays of disappointment can be deflating. Yet Kohli was still given the honour of being the captain for the Words Cup. He will lead a talented squad composed of India’s finest cricket players, indicating that he and vice captain Rohit Sharma have the trust of coach Ravishankar Jayadritha Shastri (and likely the broader Indian national cricket organization).
Kohli has surely heard the grumblings about his leadership – or lack thereof. People already know about his brilliance with the bat, but now they want to see if he can successfully captain this team under the most intense circumstances. His mandate is clear: Lead the Men in Blue to their third World Cup. Anything less will mean more fuel for Kohli’s critics.
