The Fierce Ambition Of King Kohli

Virat Kohli is probably the most fiercely driven man in modern cricket. After captaining India to a second consecutive ICC test mace and grabbing back-to-back Wisden cricketer of the year awards, he's also the most significant entity in Indian cricket. The biggest test of his captaincy now awaits on the other side of the IPL, with series' in England and then in Australia. Will his decision to play county cricket pay off? Will team in Dia's dark knight conquer the final frontiers? Will Virat Kohli become the greatest cricketer of his generation?

- Alshaar Khan

YOU EITHER DIE A HERO, OR LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO SEE YOURSELF BECOME THE VILLAIN - HARVEY DENT, IN THE DARK KNIGHT

It was a bright afternoon at Famous Studios in Worli, Mumbai, as I waited for Virat Kohli to finish having lunch ahead of our interaction. Interestingly, also in the waiting area was senior sports writer, Wright Thompson of ESPN The Magazine. “I’ve flown straight from an emotionally-charged funeral of a footballer (David Astori) in Italy,” said the Mississippi native, “to follow this guy, and feature him on an upcoming special issue cover, alongside Leo Messi.”

“So,” I enquired, “is cricket becoming as big as soccer in America?” He did describe the increasing popularity of The Gentleman’s Game in his part of the world, but emphasised that Kohli has emerged as one of the game’s leading icons, cutting across both geographic and sporting boundaries. After all, the Indian skipper ranked seventh in Forbes’ global list of the most valuable brands among sportspersons, two places ahead of the Barcelona and Argentina talisman Lionel Messi.

Thompson had first encountered Kohli during the 2011 World Cup and still remembers the batsman as an aggressive customer, hot-headed and occasionally rash. With his recent run of form, though, the Delhi man has proved anything but. A second consecutive Wisden Cricketer of the Year accolade landed in his kitty last month; it’s the first time Virender Sehwag’s 2008-09 feat has been emulated. It came as the icing on a mammoth cake of 2,818 runs (700-plus better than Joe Root at No. 2 and more than 1,000 clear of Steve Smith) that he had baked in 46 internationals last year. That’s in addition to the multiple captaincy records he’s set and broken, including the most consecutive series wins in international cricket.