Many would debate the subject of the article. Yes, Kapil, Sachin and Dhoni have all had a significant impact on Indian cricket but the author Greg Chappell, a legendary cricketer himself, backs his case nicely with this. For the uninitiated, earlier this week, Virat Kohli unexpectedly announced his retirement from Test cricket, the game’s format purists consider as the ultimate test, ahead of India’s tour of England next month. Whilst speculation is rife about the reasons for this untimely exit with its usual share of conspiracies that Indian cricket evokes (justifying its status as a religion), going through Chappell’s arguments is a fitting tribute to Kohli, India’s most successful test captain:
“Virat Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket marks the end of a thunderous era – a reign forged in grit, fire, and audacity. It closes the chapter on the most transformative figure in Indian cricket since Sachin Tendulkar; perhaps Kohli even eclipses him in terms of cultural influence and psychological impact on India’s cricketing identity.
Kohli, the incandescent heart of Indian cricket for over a decade, did not just score runs. He redefined expectations, challenged conventions, and symbolized the self-assured, unapologetic India of the 21st century.
There was a time when Indian cricket, particularly overseas, bore an air of respectful submission – playing with technical skill, yes, but often with psychological inferiority. That changed in stages. Sourav Ganguly gave Indian cricket a new spine. MS Dhoni brought ice-cold leadership and white-ball dominance. But Kohli? Kohli lit the fire. He tore the script and authored a new one, where India was not just competitive abroad but expected to win.
He was the most Australian non-Australian cricketer we’ve ever seen – a snarling warrior in whites, never giving an inch, always demanding more. Not just of his bowlers, his fielders or his opposition, but first and foremost, of himself….”
Hope this start to the article is enough to whet your appetite to read the piece in its entirety. Perhaps the best measure of influence could be in the immense popularity of the IPL team Royal Challengers Bangalore, not just in its home city of Bangalore but at IPL venues across the country. There can’t be any other explanation but Kohli.
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