We Indians are cricket lovers. When you ask a small kid what do you want to become or what profession do you want to take?- the answer will be ‘ I want to become a cricketer’. That is how we worship cricket here. It unites the whole country for sure. So most of you would have understood the influence of cricket has/had in our country. There are many reasons why cricket became so popular in India. But one reason for sure is Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. The way he played cricket mesmerized people. Each and every one were glued to TV sets when ever this person was playing. He was carrying 1 billion people’s hope with him. Whenever he was out there on the field playing each and every one of us wanted a century from him and also a match winning innings. I myself used to switch off my TV set whenever he used get out. There is quote which says ‘If Cricket is a Religion, then Sachin is GOD’. Another example of his greatness- Whenever he comes out to bat, you cant listen to anything except ”Sachinn.. Sachinn.. Sachinn.. Sachinn..“. But after he retired from international cricket, I personally missed such enthusiasm in people until this man came to the picture.
He is Virat Kohli. When he started playing for India, many former cricketers were confident that he was the next big thing Indian team. But for me he became the next big thing or the present big thing in Indian cricket after his performances since World Cup 2015. His aggressiveness, hating to lose are few qualities that make him different from others. His performances against Pakistan, Australia and West Indies were awesome. For a cricket lover it was a treat to watch his batting. His way of scoring runs, penetrating the fielders, running between the wicket are to the next level. A virtual quater-final against Australia where India were in a losing position with Yuvi back in dressing room, it was Kohli’s heroics that saved us and took us to the semifinlas of World T20.
When he was batting, it did not seem he could get out. He simply would not allow it. So he stood at the crease and just played. His composure and strokes reminds me of the great Sachin. The way Kohli absorbs the pressure of the match and chase downs heavy totals easily is another quality that matches with Sachin. They play a similar kind of game i.e Classic form of cricket. They understand their strengths and weakness and play according to it. No risks in their shots put timing that no one can match. Apart from these similarities, why I think Sachin’s incarnation is Virat Kohli is because when he came to bat against West Indies I heard the crowd chanting ‘Viraaat Viraat’, that moment made my day. Yes we lost to West Indies, we couldn’t win the World Cup but we found our new Sachin Tendulkar in the form of VIRAT KOHLI
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