There is no doubt that Virat Kohli’s on-field conducts have divided the cricketing fraternity into two halves. While some feel that Kohli’s aggressive nature symbolises the new India and it is imperative to his game, many feel that it is unnecessary.
Recently, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar had revealed that not everyone was a fan of Kohli’s attitude when he came to the Indian team. However, he had gone on to say that it was Kohli’s attitude that has moulded the Indian team into a strong unit.
“Virat Kohli hasn’t changed much since he got into the team, but people around him have changed. And his attitude has changed only because of his performances and consistency,” Tendulkar had said during an event in Mumbai earlier this month.
“I noticed that spark and aggression in him, something which many guys were not fond of to be very honest. And there were many guys who were criticizing him for that. And today that has become the strength of the Indian team,” he had added.
Well, another legend of Indian cricket, Rahul Dravid has now given his take on the much-talked-about topic. The former India skipper made it quite clear that he too does not like Kohli’s attitude very much but feels Kohli can persist with it if it brings the best out of him.
“Virat sometimes comes across as outrageous and I cringe on reading his statements before a series. But if he can bring the best out of himself by needling the opposition, so be it,” Dravid said at the Bangalore Literature Festival on Sunday (October 29).
“We want a little bit of lip on the field,” added the legendary batsman who is known for his calm and composed nature.
Dravid also spoke on another widely-talked about the topic- the retirement of MS Dhoni. The World Cup-winning skipper is in the second latter 30s, and although he is looking fitter than ever, many feel that he should hang his boots due to his diminishing batting abilities.
Speaking about that Dravid said:
“People might have different opinions on when Dhoni should retire. But, if the selectors have selected him, he can play for India as long as he wants.”
Dravid further credited commercialisation of the game for the emergence of new generation cricketers from smaller cities and towns.
“Although people may deride IPL and T20 format because of which they think cricket has been commercialised, thanks to the money in it, access to facilities are better,” he said.
Video of the day: