Virat Kohli , legend has inspired an entire generation of young people, both cricketers, and fans. His dedication, fitness, and class are just a few of the qualities that every young athlete aspires to have. Kohli is more than just a cricketer and former Indian team captain. He is a role model, which Indian cricket has craved since Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement. Despite the presence of superstars like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Suryakumar Yadav in the team, Kohli’s presence stands out.
Kohli’s positive energy has reached a large number of people. Ask any aspiring batter who he or she aspires to be like, and the answer is almost always Virat Kohli. If you ask an aspiring bowler who his dream wicket is, the answer will be Pat Kohli. Aside from being a champion batter of his era, that is how Kohli’s legacy would be defined. In fact, many members of the Indian team have grown up idolizing Virat Kohli. When Kohli was captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore, he left a trail of stunned youngsters in his wake, one of whom was Mohammed Siraj. Siraj was drawn to Virat’s aura more than anything else when the fast bowler made his debut for Kohli in 2017 at the age of 23 and picked up 10 wickets during the season.
“Siraj was Virat’s biggest supporter. He came to me after the first season with RCB and said, ‘Sir, mujhe Virat ki tarah banna hai’ (Sir, I want to be like Virat). I believe it was his hunger; he had seen what Virat had accomplished. So I told him, “If you want to be like Virat, you must sacrifice a lot of things.” Former India bowling coach Bharat Arun stated on Cricbuzz’s Special show ‘The Rise of New India.
“Bowling allows you to be someone who is remembered. ‘No, sir, I will do whatever it takes to emulate him,’ he replied. So the fact that he was a Virat fan and later got to play under and alongside him had a big impact on Mohammed Siraj.”
Siraj made his India debut under Kohli in 2017 during a T20I against New Zealand, and despite going for 53 runs in four overs, Siraj was always in Kohli’s good graces. Siraj honed his skills while playing for RCB over the years, with Kohli closely monitoring his development, and when he was ready to take the next step, Virat handed Siraj his maiden Test call-up for the 2020/21 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
However, Siraj’s Test debut – the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne – was under Ajinkya Rahane because Kohli had flown back home after the Adelaide Game – but the India pacer has and always will look up to Virat. “Siraj is exceptional. Not only in his abilities, but also in his self-confidence, which has propelled him from where he was to where he is now “Arun elaborated.
