Virat Kohli is now seen as INDIA’S BATTING FULCRUM in all formats. His poise in Tests acquires an aggressive veneer in ODIs and then gains dollops of explosive energy in Twenty20s.
There is a sense of perma-nence about Virat Kohli that belies logic because sport is transitory and athletes, irrespective of their talent and greatness, eventually head towards an exit gate that is nudged by time. Even an icon like Sachin Tendulkar, who stretched his career well past two decades and enriched our memory-milestones, found his toughest foe in the process of ageing.
However, cricketing twilight is extremely far on Kohli’s horizon and for now, the 25-year-old is all over the place and there are sound cricketing reasons for that. After skipper M. S. Dhoni, he is India's absolute certainty in all formats of the game. He is also tipped to lead India in the future, a taste of which he already had in the recent Asia Cup in Dhaka. There is no doubting that his talent and demeanour over the past two years have largely silenced those questions about the angry brat that resided within him during his early days in top-flight cricket.
Step onto any arterial road in India’s big cities and billboards in which Kohli is plugging shoes or cars, pop up. Open the newspapers or magazines and Kohli is there both in the sports pages and on Page Three, the latter though is no fault of his as sections of the media have no qualms in peering into the private lives of high-profile sportsmen.
WHATEVER BE THE nature of our gaze — sporting, gawking on roads or plain salacious — there is no running away from Kohli. His celebrity status was entirely shaped by his success in cricket because brands seek out ambassadors, who promise consistency and longevity and in Kohli, most corporates have found a winner.
Denne historien er fra April 5, 2014-utgaven av Sportstar.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra April 5, 2014-utgaven av Sportstar.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears
Organisers in Japan cancelled the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, affecting around 38,000 runners, on fears about the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan.
Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT
What should the criteria be? What weight should be attached to each criterion? And what should not be considered as valid criteria?
The making of a batting behemoth
If Steve Smith dominated the Ashes in England in a dramatic, blockbuster fashion then his like for like a replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, is the Next Big Thing after an exciting summer of run-glut.
WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...
It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration when the Sportstar Aces awards were given away in Mumbai.
A question of recognition
After a week of awards, one wonders if it’s only a departed player that one will be named after.
Thinking straight, thinking right!
“A lot depends on when I am bowling and what is required from me. That’s something I do when I play for India and I try to follow the same thing in the domestic circuit,” says Yuzvendra Chahal.
The Big Three and the Next Gen
Though the Big Three are very unlikely to retire during the same year, Judy Murray, mother of Andy, echoed the sentiments of many fans worried about the impact of their departures.
WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH
Sport at large and cricket specifically has taken an inordinately long time to address the elephant in the room — the dark abyss of depression.
Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room
Bangladesh quick Abu Jayed Rahi is new in the red-ball arena, but his swing brings back old memories — of James Anderson on green tops.
The league of the masses
With traditional clubs locking horns with the hard-working nurseries of the game, the I-League will continue to keep the beating heart of Indian football alive despite official apathy.
