Kohli is a rare talent, says Gary Kirsten

Hyderabad  :   Former India coach Gary Kirsten always had the belief that the immensely talented Virat Kohli will grow into a "great cricketer" and the South African considers himself fortunate to have been a part of that process.

"I always had a different kind of feeling when I started working with Virat Kohli. From the beginning, I was very sure that he was a rare talent and would become a great player. He grew massively in these past few years and has matured a lot. I was fortunate to be part of that process of seeing him grow and that give me immense pleasure," said Kirsten.

Asked whether Kohli be able to step into Sachin Tendulkar's shoes once the legend calls time on his illustrious career spanning close to two and a half decades, Kirsten was very cautious about his choice of words.

"I have always been very careful about appointing someone in that place (Tendulkar's replacement). It's a very dangerous position and very risky to name anyone. That's something that you guys (media) do but I won't do that.

"All I can say is that Kohli is a fantastic batsman whom the opposition bowlers are finding it difficult to get out. The teams nowadays do a lot of planning to get him out," he said.

[Via : NDTV]

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Virat Kohli is an aggressive captain in Sourav Ganguly mould, says Coach Rajkumar Sharma

NEW DELHI : Noted coach Rajkumar Sharma, who played a pivotal role in shaping up Virat Kohli's career, feels that his ward's aggressive captaincy resembles a lot with Sourav Ganguly's methods but insisted that he should also learn the ropes from current skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"Virat is an aggressive player by nature. He is someone who always likes to attack and take the opposition head on which is also reflected in his captaincy. For me, Virat belongs to the Sourav Ganguly 'School of captaincy' which is to attack the opposition from the word 'go'," Sharma said.

Just like any concerned coach, Sharma is also aware that aggression should be blended with caution which is the hallmark of a good captain.

"I am all for aggressive captaincy but I believe that he should also know the line that one shouldn't overstep. If he does that, then I come into picture to make him aware," Sharma analysed.

Kohli, in his maiden stint as India captain has led the team to the final of the tri-series in West Indies but his coach doesn't want his ward to be pushed into the hot seat.

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an exceptional captain and I believe that Virat still has a lot to learn from Dhoni although no two persons are the same and their thought process is bound to be different. I feel that till Dhoni is playing, he is the best man to lead India and Virat will certainly get it when his turn comes around," Sharma opined.

However the former first-class cricketer doesn't believe that age should be a criteria while selecting a captain.

"Age has got nothing do with captaincy. It's more about how good one is when it comes to analysing match situation, reacting to it and also about leading from the front with good performances."The coach also believes Virat has come of age in the past couple of years and is more confident about his game.

"He had some problems but that was way back in 2008 during IPL 1. After that, he understood his mistakes and also worked hard on his game. He has matured a lot and that's for everyone to see," Sharma concluded.




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For 100-club member Virat Kohli, Sky is The Limit

Special Achievement ~ 

On Tuesday, when Virat steps out at the Oval to face the West Indies, Kohli will make his 100th ODI appearance, becoming only the 30th Indian cricketer to do so.

Only two teammates of his in the Champions Trophy squad — M.S. Dhoni (220) and Suresh Raina (160) — have featured in more games.

At 24, it is a resounding endorsement of his abilities, a measure of how far he’s left his peers behind.

Proud moment ~

“It is a proud moment for all those associated with him from his formative years in cricket,” says Raj Kumar Sharma, Kohli’s coach from the age of nine.

“I remember the first match vividly and wonder how time has flown. He is playing his 100th one-day match. He was so excited when he was picked. Now he is one of the best on the circuit.”

In 99 matches, Kohli has scored 4,085 runs at a shade under 50. Raina, who has 61 caps more, is still eight runs behind that tally. They have batted in different positions and it is not completely fair to compare them, but it is no grave injustice either.

Rohit Sharma, who debuted two years before Kohli, has played 10 matches (and 12 innings) fewer; but the former has only scored half as many runs (2,130). Kohli has scored 13 hundreds already to Rohit’s two.


Most prolific ~

Over the last two years, Kohli has been the world’s most prolific one-day batsman, scoring 2,129 runs in 44 matches (and as many innings). Eight of his 13 hundreds have come in this period. Kumar Sangakkara comes second, with his 1,862 runs in 49 games (46 innings).

Recognition has emphatically arrived in the form of the ICC ODI Cricketer-of-the-Year and the BCCI Indian Cricketer-of-the-Year (Polly Umrigar Award) honours.

“There is a big difference in the Virat we have seen in the last two years,” says the Delhi Ranji Trophy coach Vijay Dahiya, someone who has watched Kohli since his first-class debut.

“In terms of fitness, he has made amazing progress. The treadmill is his best friend when he is not playing. His mental and physical fitness go hand in hand.”

Dahiya also ascribes Kohli’s success to his intelligence on the field.

“His smartness is an enviable quality,” he says. “If he has batted consistently, it is because he can assess the game more than anyone. Plus, he never takes chances, not even in T20. He knows which bowler to pick when — see how he has gone after Lasith Malinga. He has stopped throwing his wicket away after getting set. I am sure he can become a great game finisher.”



Better in Tests ~ 
 

In these two years, Kohli has also come a long way as a Test batsman too, after initial struggles. At press conferences, he has been at pains to state the importance he places on performances in the longer format. After four poor innings on the last tour of Australia, he turned things around in Perth before making a breakthrough century in Adelaide.

Against England in Nagpur last year, he scored a gritty hundred, consigning to the bin any doubts over his patience.

“I won’t compare him (to others),” says Raj Kumar Sharma.

“In my opinion, he is fit for Tests. He is better in Tests than one-dayers because he takes time to settle down. He has the technique and temperament to play long innings. I want Virat to be known as a successful Test cricketer.”

Considering Kohli is only in his early twenties, it is dizzying to wonder how far he can go. “He is hungry and is determined to grow into a batsman who can be relied on in all conditions,” Raj Kumar says.

[ Courtesy : The Hindu ]

In a nutshell, we all can say that "Sky is the limit for Virat Kohli."

Virat has a good records against West Indies.

Hope Virat scores big on his 100th ODI match and India wins...

Finger Crossed!

All the Best Virat.

All the Best India. 
Good Wishes From We Love Virat Kohli Team.

Dear Fans, Wish him good luck by posting your comment below comment section.

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Virat Kohli is a match-winner for India, admits Shoaib Akhtar

Former speedster Shoaib Akhtar feels the high-voltage ICC Champions Trophy clash between Pakistan and India would be a battle between the former's bowling prowess and the latter's much-heralded batting line-up. "For me, this high pressure match is a duel between their batsmen and our bowlers. We have an advantage over them not only in the pace department but also spin bowling," Akhtar said in an interview.

Pakistan and India will square off at Edgbaston, Birmingham in their Group 'B' league match on June 15. Akhtar said the calming presence of captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will act as a big advantage for the Indians.

"Dhoni is a big plus for them despite all the recent controversies. And like always their batting has lot of depth and quality," he said.

Akhtar, who appeared in 46 Tests and 163 One-Day Internationals for Pakistan and was ranked among the fastest bowlers of the modern era, also heaped praise on India's vice-captain Virat Kohli and described him as a "match winner".

"He is a match winner, there's no doubt about that. He is a quality player. Even the presence of Rohit Sharma in the middle is not a good news for the opposition bowlers," he said.
Kohli had scored an impressive 120-ball 144 in India's five-wicket win over Sri Lanka in their Champions Trophy warm-up game on June 2.

Akhtar, however, had a word of caution for the Indian batsmen, who he believes would struggle to handle the English conditions, where the ball is expected to swing and bounce.

[Via : IndianExpress]

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"He is not arrogant,He is Self confident", says Sir Viv about Virat!

Mumbai  :  Richards said he loves Indian vice captain Virat Kohli’s aggression on the field and what many people perceive as arrogance is actually his confidence. "I have always felt what you see as arrogance, I see it as confidence. Virat Kohli has an aggression that regardless of whoever I am going to face, I will have the time over there. It is important to stamp your presence as early as possible, if you want a start," he said.West Indies bating great, Sir Viv Richards had once feared that Test cricket will die down a slow death due to low turnout of fans but the advent of Twenty20 format has instilled a fresh lease of life into the game. 

Source : Nation.com.pk

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