Is Virat Kohli the right man to take Team India forward?

“In last five years, the number of matches I’ve helped India win and the consistency I’ve played [with] is more than anyone else in the team,” said Virat Kohli ahead of the eighth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), referring to the criticism he faced for not being able to contribute in the World Cup semi-final in the month previous.

He is right, no doubt about his contribution and in the last few years he has been India’s best batsman. The criticism he received was harsh, especially when his personal life was drawn in but even the greatest in India have received the flak for underperforming with effigies getting burned or stones being pelted at their houses. A section of Indian fans have the habit of crossing limits and there’s a section who also go over the board giving star players demigod status. It’s a part and parcel of an Indian cricketer’s life. For those who have grown up in the era of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, Kohli’s statement leaves a bitter taste. You compete with opponents, not teammates.

Kohli’s work ethics is unquestionable. He has topped charts on foundation of hard work and not just on basis of the word ‘talent’. He has worked his way to where he has been and done enough to warrant the Test captaincy. It’s an invaluable complement when Viv Richards compares you to his aggressive self. Aggression is, however, subjective. Chris Gayle, Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are some of the coolest blokes in cricket, yet they are bullies with the bat. Adam Gilchrist and Sanath Jayasuriya are examples of calmness with brutal aggressive approach. Steve Waugh, Arjuna Ranatunga and Ganguly were fierce competitors. They were aggressive personalities who stood by their team and fought for it, not around settling personal scores. Going back to an era previous, aggression also means Dravid’s concentration and Tendulkar’s dedication. The above guys are role models, not just for the way they play; it extends beyond that. With Kohli, there’s always been a feeling that the moment runs dry up, the aggression looks empty brashness. No doubt, Kohli has curbed the unwanted aggression in his game, but to lead a side, especially one like India, one needs to be calmer and look beyond self.

In the emotionally-charged Adelaide Test last year, Kohli led the side well. For most Indian fans, it was refreshing to see an Indian side attack their opponents, something that was a rarity under Dhoni. Kohli played a rookie leg-spinner Karn Sharma ahead of pros like Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. That didn’t pay off, but it spoke volumes about his positive intent. There was little regret when the side lost the Test in an attempt to win it. Kohli, almost singlehandedly pulled off one of the most memorable wins and was hailed for his efforts.

In the Tests that followed there were quite a few dramatics and most of the time Kohli was at the right centre of it. Not that Aussies are the gentlest of cricketers, but Kohli was already making statements with the blade so he could have avoided many of the unwarranted tiffs on and off the field. In the Sydney Test, where he led again, Kohli showed many signs of impatience with frequent bowling and field changes.

Steve Waugh, one of the finest leaders of the game, recently summed up Kohli quite aptly when he said: “Kohli has to mature. He had a few issues this World Cup. He gets a bit too animated, bit too emotional, bit too personal on some issues. As a captain you have got to develop a thick skin and Dhoni has that, nothing gets through him. So he would be a good role model for Kohli. He has to be his own man but also take a bit of what Dhoni has. Dhoni has never been bothered about what people say. The external things don’t influence him. He just keeps it simple, goes about his job in the best that he can do on the field. I like Kohli’s passion. You can’t be there starting every fight when he is a captain. He has to pull it back. He doesn’t have to lose that passion, but just have to be a little smarter in the way he does things.”

Leading Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB)

RCB has invested the most in Kohli. Right from the season one, Kohli has been a part of the franchise but as a leader, has he been inspiring? Over the years when you look at Gautam Gambhir’s role with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Dhoni’s with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or even Shane Warne’s with Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kohli seems to fall flat. Even Harbhajan Singh and Rohit Sharma have won IPL and CLT20 titles, but Kohli hasn’t been able to inspire a side that comprises few of the greatest contemporary cricketers and in the past three seasons the side has ended in the bottom half.

Currently placed at the bottom of the table, the need for RCB is not just runs from their out of form skipper’s blade, but also some tactical astuteness. In AB de Villiers, they have the finest batsman in the world and it’s baffling to see him bat at no.5, below Dinesh Karthik. In most of the games so far, de Villiers walks in at a ridiculously difficult position. It doesn’t take rocket science to figure out that if AB bats early, getting into such positions is unlikely. True, he is a great finisher, but when your top order isn’t firing, it’s unfair to expect your finisher to come in after 10 overs and score at 12 an over.

Varun Aaron has leaked runs, the over-reliance on him is questionable and last night every logic was defied when the best Twenty20 player in the world, Gayle, was dropped from the side. He had an off match against Mumbai Indians (MI) but it was a few days back, when he singlehandedly won RCB the game against KKR.

It’s not just having the best resources; it’s how you use them. Unfortunately Kohli, the captain hasn’t done that well and with runs drying up at personal level, it seems the leadership is getting affected too. Hope he learns aplenty from these experiences and emerges out as a better leader, if not, Team India need to reassess their vision on the future leader.

(Suvajit Mustafi consumes cricket for lunch, fiction for dinner and munches numerous other snacks throughout the day. Yes, a jack of several trades, all Suvajit dreamt of was being India’s World Cup winning skipper but ended up being a sports writer, author, screenwriter, director, copywriter, graphic designer, sports marketer, strategist, entrepreneur,  philosopher and traveller. Donning so many hats, it’s cricket which gives him the ultimate high and where he finds solace. He can be followed at @RibsGully and rivu7)