Virat Kohli is, without a doubt, one of the greatest players in the modern era but he has fallen upon tough times with the bat and with the captaincy in the last couple of years.
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When one looks at the list of batsmen who have dominated the game in the modern era, Virat Kohli’s name is right up there. His dominance, aggression, and his method of playing have ensured India has not missed the services of Sachin Tendulkar. When Tendulkar was amassing runs and putting the fear of opposition for two decades, it was felt that India would struggle when he retired. But, the arrival of Virat Kohli on the world stage has made India a dominant force.
His contributions in ODIs, Tests and Twenty20 Internationals are staggering. Consistency, along with aggression and dedication, has been the hallmark of Virat Kohli and his batting. The early signs had indicated greatness. During one Ranji Trophy match in 2006, Kohli lost his father. He played a great knock, saved Delhi the blushes, and then conducted the last rites for his father. His mental strength at such a young age had earmarked him for greatness.
The stamp of greatness was sealed in 2008 when he helped India win the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia. It was in that group that future greats of the game would emerge and change the entire complexion of cricket.
If there is one particular series that earmarked the brilliance of Virat Kohli, it was in India’s disastrous tour of Australia in 2011/12. In a Test series that India’s batsmen found it hard to cope with, they were whitewashed 0-4. But, Kohli stood heads and shoulders above the rest. His 75 in Perth and century in Adelaide made him the only bright spot. But, it was in the ODI tri-series that established him as the ultimate chase master. During one game against Sri Lanka in Hobart, Kohli blasted 133 off 86 balls.
In that innings, he decimated the reputation of Lasith Malinga as one of the best death bowlers in the business. His 24 runs off Malinga, which included him tackling the yorkers brilliantly, put him on the map as one of the best. His 133 helped India chase down a total in excess of 300 in under 40 overs. It would not be the first time that Kohli would make chasing look incredibly easy.
From that knock in Hobart, Kohli’s consistency reached insane levels. His performances at home and overseas reflected his potency as one of the best all-condition players. In 2014, he encountered his first major rough patch when he managed just 134 runs in five Tests in England. It was his first real examination against quality seam and swing bowling from James Anderson and Stuart Broad. That England failure saw Kohli gain his focus back. What followed was a brilliant series in Australia.
His twin centuries in Adelaide and his century in Melbourne and Sydney confirmed him as the best in the business. It was this period that saw Kohli scale heights that might never be replicated.
From 2011 to 2019, he smashed over 1000 runs in a calendar year in ODIs seven times. In fact, from 2016 to 2018, he hit 1000 runs in both ODIs and Tests at an average of over 60 in both. 2016 was his annus mirabilis, in which he averaged 106 in Twenty20 Internationals as well. Some of his knocks against Australia showed his insane appetite for runs, with his 82 in Mohali during the ICC World T20 2016 being hailed as one of the best knocks in the world. His average of 92 in ODIs and 75 in Tests in that year made it one of the best years by any player.
When the stats for the decade were accumulated, Kohli was the only individual to score over 20,000 runs combined in all formats. For a brief time, he was the only individual to average over 50 in all three formats.
As a batsman, Virat Kohli is second to none currently when it comes to run-making and greatness. He has 70 International tons, his average in ODIs is a staggering 59. In ODIs, it is believed that Virat Kohli could overhaul Sachin Tendulkar’s tally while in Tests, he might come close.
But, it is his record as a captain that is mixed. Even here, there is plenty of anomalies. As a Test skipper, Virat Kohli is one of the most successful captains in the history of India. He has achieved a Test series win in Australia, is on the cusp of breaking India’s 14-year jinx in England. At home, he has been thoroughly dominant. Even in ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals, as a captain, he has been immensely successful. He has won bilateral series in all countries, be it ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals.
With all these achievements, why is Kohli still criticized? It is the lack of an ICC trophy as well as IPL success. In both criteria, Kohli has fallen flat. As IPL captain for seven years, Kohli reached the final in 2016. In that tournament, he was at his Bradmanesque level, scoring 973 runs. Yet, Royal Challengers Bangalore failed to win the title. In three editions, his team ended up at the bottom. In subsequent IPLs, he never managed to break the jinx.
His ICC record is mixed. In knock-out events, Kohli has failed miserably. Be it the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, 2021 ICC World Test Championship, and the ongoing ICC World T20, Kohli as captain and player has fallen short.
Currently, after all the flood of runs, the drought has arrived for Kohli. He has not hit a single century in any format since November 2019. 2020 was his worst year in Tests but he still made it big in ODIs and T20Is. His average in Tests in this two-year period has been under 30. Ever since the coronavirus pandemic, he has not hit a single century anywhere.
The lack of big scores plus the captaincy conundrum has meant Virat Kohli has endured a tough patch after a long time. But, even when you look at the big picture, it is tough to not argue about Kohli’s greatness. At the age of 33, he can still contribute for another 4-5 years. The records that he will accumulate at that time will be phenomenal. Kohli is currently enduring some tough times. But, like a champion, he will always bounce back.
