THE BRAVE NEW FACE OF CRICKET

THERE IS A TIDE IN THE AFFAIRS OF sportsmen, with apologies to Shakespeare, which taken at the flood leads on to greatness. If Sachin Tendulkar rode that tide between 1996 and 1997—when he struck seven Test centuries in five continents and added another 11 ODI hundreds for good measure to establish himself as the world’s best batsman—Virat Kohli has ridden it from the second half of 2014 to 2016. Though there is still a huge statistical gulf between the two, Kohli has established himself as the premier Indian sporting icon of the next generation. Like with Tendulkar, it’s not just what Kohli does, but how he does it. The aggressive demeanour on the field is slowly getting tempered, even as the aggressive streak at the crease is being honed. With him batting, like with Sachin in his prime, India always has a chance. Little wonder then that Kohli is India’s favourite—way ahead of the rest.