Not so long ago, Former Pakistan cricketer Moin Khan had showered praises on Indian skipper Virat Kohli projecting him as the best player of the current generation. He had stated that Kohli would break many records and become a legend.
Now, another former Pakistani player Aamer Sohail has added a new chapter in Kohli’s career by drawing his comparison with the all-time great Pakistan batsman Javed Miandad. Sohail believed that just like Miandad, Kohli’s greatness impacts on his teammates and their game has also been improved over the years.
“The most crucial point for me is that big players break out. They are individually great, but their greatness does not help the team at all. When you talk about Pakistan’s cricket history and its greatness, the first name that comes to mind is Javed Miandad,” said Sohail on his YouTube channel.
Sohail articulated that Miandad used to inspire other cricketers via his impressive gameplay and Kohli does the same. That is the reason teammates around Kohli have improved a lot.
“His greatness is still talked about to this day because he used to raise the level of play of the rest of the team. When you stitch a long partnership with him, you used to learn so much, and get inspired that you want to improve more. This is what Kohli has done as well. If you look around Kohli, every player has improved alongside him, and this is why Kohli gets the tag of a great player,” added the former left-handed genius.
Miandad has appeared for Pakistan in 124 Tests, and 233 ODIs. He was rated as one of the finest batsmen of his era. Miandad has amassed 8832 Test runs at an average of 52.57 and 7381 runs at an average of 41.70 in ODIs.
Kohli, on the other hand, is considered as one of the best batsmen of the current generation. The 31-year-old has broken multiple records across all formats, having scored 26 Test hundreds and 41 ODI tons till now. The right-hander is also the leading run-getter in T20Is (2744) across the world.
Sohail also explained the reason behind Kohli’s greatness and consistency he has achieved in the run-making process.
“Let me explain why Virat Kohli has become a great player? When he burst onto the scene, he was flamboyant, aggressive, and liked to team up with life. Very quickly, he realised that I need to separate my professional life with my personal life. That really benefited him,” analysed Sohail.
“The guidance he received after that you need to do away with certain things to become a consistent player for India – and he did so. He improved his defensive technique. When he got a chance to play for India in 2008, and then when he made a move to T20I in 2010, and then he made his debut in 2011 – during this time he found his game. He realised what his strengths were and how he needs to take them forward. He also realised what his weakness was, and how can he improve upon it, or camouflage it. He kept improving his game, and he dominated in world cricket,” the Lahore-born added.
The former Somerset cricketer articulated that Kohli’s determination and passion has made him one of the greatest players. Sohail stated that Kohli respects the game, his fans, and he values the jersey he wears whenever he goes in the middle.
“But here are four primary reasons I believe why he became a great player. The first point is passion and determination. An average player, when they represent their country, they are happy with the performances as long as they can stay in the team. They are just satisfied with that. But great players do not let their passion and determination deteriorate. This cannot be taught; this comes from within when you respect the game, your fans, and the colours that you wear and the country you represent,” the 53-year-old added further.
Sohail specified that Kohli wasn’t as good as he currently is when he burst onto the scene, but the Delhi-born paid attention to the advice he received regarding how to improve one’s game, and he kept on growing.
“The second point is to desire to become a better player and be coachable – this is what has been seen in Kohli. In the beginning, he used to hit shots. But then he was told that you have to play like this, so he realised himself and kept on improving. His adaptability has come because of this. In different countries, with different bowling attack, in different situations, he has different trigger movements all the time. He uses his footwork accordingly. He has dominated every bowling line-up in the world. When you play like this, it makes a player ready to accept challenges. This is why Virat Kohli’s mental toughness is increasing,” concluded Sohail.
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