The former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra believes that the India captain Virat Kohli has changed a lot as a person from his young and early days, after getting all the fame and power. Mishra, who played under Kohli’s captaincy during India’s Caribbean Test tour in 2016, said that the Delhi cricketer has not been the same person after gaining fame and money as his career has progressed.
Virat Kohli became the captain of the red-ball format during India’s tour to Australia in 2014-15 before fully getting the leadership responsibility of the longest format before the fourth Test of the Australia tour. Two years later, the veteran became the all-format captain of the national side as MS Dhoni handed him the duty.
His captaincy tenure was quite successful in Tests, as India got the better of Australia in an away tour for the very first time in 2018-19, besides many memorable series victories. The 2019 World Cup was one of the tough times, where India lost the semifinal, while they were knocked out from the group stage of the T20 World Cup 2021.
‘There is a huge difference between the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli, the captain’- Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra, who featured in 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is for India, has drawn a comparison between the nature of Virat Kohli and the current India captain Rohit Sharma, who in Mishra’s words has been the same as the beginning.
‘I won’t lie. As a cricketer, I respect him a lot, but I don’t share the same equation with him as I used to. Why does Virat have less friends? His and Rohit’s natures are different. I’ll tell you the best thing about Rohit.’ The former India bowler Amit Mishra expressed this during the podcast show with YouTuber ‘Shubhankar Mishra’. ‘When I met him the first day and when I meet him today, he is the same person. So will you relate to him more or with someone who changes according to situation?’
The veteran also went on to say that there had been a drastic change in the behavior of Virat Kohli, whom Mishra had known from the age of 14 when he used to enjoy Samosa and Pizza.
‘I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose. I was never one of those.’ Mishra added.
‘I have known Cheeku since the time he was 14, when he used to eat Samosas, when he needed Pizza every night. But there is a huge difference in the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli, the captain.’ The Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) bowler observed. ‘Whenever he meets me, he is very respectful, but it’s obviously not the same anymore.’
Virat Kohli ends his T20I career after helping India lift the T20 World Cup 2024 in the United States of America and West Indies. In the final, he grabbed the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his match-winning knock of 76 runs against South Africa.
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The 35-year-old, Virat Kohli also finishes his T20I career as the second-highest run-getter with 4188 runs in 117 innings, at an average of 48.69, and a strike rate of 137.04, celebrating 38 half-centuries and one hundred, with a best of unbeaten 122-runs against Afghanistan.
He is expected to be part of the Indian team in their upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka, starting from August 02, at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.