The beleaguered Indian ace Virat Kohli has been the subject of intense debate over the last few weeks. His form has dipped alarmingly and there are those who are calling for his dismissal. But among all the brickbats, there are also those who continue to repose faith in his abilities. Not surprisingly Kohli has found support from a friend in Pakistan–namely the Pakistan batting maestro Babar Azam.
On Twitter Babar posted a picture of himself and Virat Kohli and wrote: “This too shall pass. Stay Strong”.
The friendship between them was forged last year and has stood the test of the pressure of international sport. This is a phase of international cricket when Virat Kohli and Babar Azam are often compared to each other. Who is better than whom is often the subject of debate. Then there are Steve Smith, Joe Root and Kane Williamson who are also up there with the top ranked batters in the scene.
But the Pakistan batting mainstay Babar Azam has managed to carve his own place. The right-handed batter has been making a case for himself to be considered among the best in the world for quite some time now. However he has not allowed the speculations and comparisons to get into his head. He is not a brash loudmouth who believes in trash talk. Instead he retains all the right mental and emotional qualities needed for leading a team. Azam is already considered by many as the best in the world.
According to former batting star V.V.S. Laxman, for Virat Kohli, the line outside the off stump is his weakness. The rival bowlers try to exploit this shortcoming in Tests, as well as ODIs. Out swinging balls are also a weak point in Kohli’s batting, feels Richard Hadlee. Another cricketer who has said the same thing is Sanjay Manjrekar. But at the same time Kohli’s teammates have praised his confidence, commitment, focus and work ethics. Kohli’s fielding remains as sharp as ever.
BCCI president and former captain Sourav Ganguly feels that Kohli can come back to form. Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra has also come out in support of Kohli. According to Nehra who worked with Kohli at Royal Challengers Bangalore, there is no harm in Kohli taking a break to come back fresh later. Kohli has already been rested for the ODI and T20 internationals in the West Indies, which means he will be out of action for nearly a month.
“Yes, he has had a tough time and he knows that,” Ganguly told ANI in an interview. “He himself knows by his own standards it has not been good and I see him coming back and doing well. But he has got to find his way and become successful, which he has been for the last 12-13 years or more and only Virat Kohli can do that.”
There is a saying that in cricket form is temporary but class is permanent. Kohli now faces an uphill struggle in his career but he also has the determination and skills to overcome the hurdles and come out on top. Cricket fans in India are hoping that he will be able to lead from the front once again.
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