Pacer RP Singh said that Kohli is similar to Sourav Ganguly in the way he leads the team. Ganguly, who led India to the final of the 2003 World Cup, was known for his aggression and the energy he showed on the field, something that Kohli exhibits with the team.
“We get to see a lot of Sourav Ganguly in Virat Kohli with the aggression and the energy that they bring,” said RP Singh in a conversation with Star Sports.
RP Singh also said that Kohli is the opposite of Dravid as far as captaincy is concerned.
“Rahul Dravid and Virat Kohli are totally opposite,” said RP, “Dravid is much calmer and comes to the game with tactics and plans. Kohli makes plans but does change it according to the situation of the game.”
He also said that Kohli and MS Dhoni are similar in the way that both make bold decisions and stand by them. Because they command the respect of the dressing room, the players also stand by them always.
RP Singh said that the first time he had noticed Kohli’s batting was when India was in South Africa for the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. Kohli was yet to cement a place in the starting XI and had made a knock of 79 runs against West Indies.
“That was the first time when we got to see Virat Kohli’s ability.”
He then said that his favourite knock was Kohli’s blistering 133 against Sri Lanka in Hobart. India needed a win and a bonus point to qualify for the final and Kohli turned up and smashed the Sri Lankan bowlers all over the place.