Kohli - The Rockstar

Virat "The Genius" Kohli continues to amaze. After his match winning knocks in crucial matches against arch rivals Sri Lanka and Pakistan, and 3 out of 4 hundreds you expect even the greatest batsman to bask in the glory or maybe to lose his focus for a few days. Not Kohli!! Probably, the finest exponent of One Day Cricket of this generation Kohli's focus does not seem to be wavering. His ability to finish the match single handedly is absolutely fantabulous and something that India had been desiring for a long time.

In order to understand the significance of Kohli's position let's roll back a few years. Who used to come at number 3 for India? Rahul Dravid!! The most reassuring batsman probably in the history of cricket, his presence in the middle soothed the nerves of even the biggest skeptics. Once Rahul had to go there was bound to be a gaping hole, a hole that can probably never be filled. However, the lull that Rahul Dravid left in the number three position has stopped appearing so scary and if one individual can be credited for that it is Virat Kohli.

What really astounds me about this young man is not the number of runs he scores, neither is it the astounding rate he scores it at, it is the sheer casual fashion he dismisses world class bowlers. Come on, which Indian did not jump off his seat seeing Malinga get hit for 24 in an over. And tell you what Kohli did it seamlessly!! If anyone thought Malinga will get a chance to redeem himself it was dismissed in the very next over he bowled, as Kohli picked him for two more fours. The sheer contempt with which he hit Malinga to all parts of the boundary made me go back to the six sixes Yuvraj hit off Broad. Destroys a bowler, does not it? Of course Malinga will come back and uproot many a stumps but Kohli is someone he will remember forever. Not a bad start eh? Etching yourself in the nightmares of the best death bowlers in modern day cricket at 24.

Finally, I come to the reason of my writing a blog after so long!! Two failures and his rash behavior on and off the field has left many a doubters about his future prospects. I guess the innings he played today against Chennai says a lot about his maturity. After being humbled by Balaji in the last match Kohli came back to play another knock of utmost significance against arch rivals Chennai. The composure he maintained while Gayle went berserk never trying to outscore him and giving him the majority of the strike was commendable. If Chennai thought that things were going to be smoother once Gayle got out, Kohli them a reminder of his destructive capabilities. Before ending, I will like to reemphasize that though there is a long way to go for Kohli but he is a phenomenon surpassing all but Sachin and if he continues to bat the way he is batting now he will surpass all but Sachin before he retires.

A day will come when India will not miss the Wall at number 3. I know Dravid of all people will hope for that. Maybe, no one can replace Dravid, not even Kohli but surely the anxiety we feel about the future when we think of a test team without Dravid will be reduced. Here's to rejoicing a better future for Indian Cricket with Kohli.