In Stats: Virat’s 2016 Mega Run Compared to Sachin/Viv/Lara & Co.

Here’s comparing Virat Kohli’s blistering run this year to that of legends like Viv Richards and Sachin Tendulkar.

There are several elements by which a cricketer is judged: skill, fitness, power, charisma, presence, ability to win matches, etc. Most players who play the game have most of the above traits, if not all. But what separates the ‘great’ players from the ‘good’ cricketers is the ability to do what they do consistently.

In recent months, one cricketer has taken a giant leap towards becoming a great - Virat Kohli. The Indian Test skipper was always a special talent and in his nine years of international cricket so far, Virat has established a reputation for himself.

A scary one... for his opponents.

All his accomplishments aside, it is in 2016 that Virat has opened a new chapter in his career – one of consistency. Commentators and journalists have run out of adjectives to describe Virat’s performances over the last few months.

Here’s a look at just a few...

Virat’s performances have come against various opponents, in different conditions, in different contests and in different situations. T20s in Australia – tick, ICC World T20 – tick, Asia Cup in Bangladesh – tick.

And now, he has extended his prolific run to the Indian Premier League and has set the tournament on fire. Courtesy his prolific form, he has rewritten the records for the most runs scored by a player in a season (865 runs), became the first player to score four centuries in an IPL season, and has leapfrogged Suresh Raina to become the highest run-getter in the IPL.

Virat’s form in T20s this year has elicited comparisons with such streaks from other modern day greats. Indian cricket fans will have fond memories of Sachin Tendulkar’s fabulous run in 1998 (remember Desert Storm?), West Indies cricket fans will remember Sir Vivian Richards’ astonishing run with the bat in 1976. Kumar Sangakkara and Rahul Dravid couldn’t do a thing wrong in 2007 and 2011 respectively.

There are a few reasons why Virat’s current run in special. He has mastered the most-challenging format of the game – Twenty20. In other formats, batsmen have time to settle down and gauge the opposition and conditions before they get going. But in T20s, a batsman has to be ready to go after the bowlers from ball one – and Virat has done that time and again. Even in the kind of form he is in, he is not getting carried away and playing shots he is not used to; he has supreme faith in his abilities and plays proper cricketing shots to score his runs.

His skills apart, one also needs to appreciate Virat’s mental strength. When scoring runs becomes second nature – just like breathing, you tend to not realise what you’re doing, lose focus, take things too easy and not put a big enough price on his wicket. However, Virat has been conscious of that and exercises plenty of discipline in his preparation and while batting.

You cannot take the sport for granted. During the last match (against Mumbai Indians) I told Dan (Vettori, RCB’s head coach) that I felt like I could hit every ball of the first over from Tim Southee for a six. But I stopped myself because I don’t want to disrespect the sport. I want to build my innings in the same way every time I go in to bat. Sometimes I will get out, like I did in the last game. But as long as I know that I wasn’t getting ahead of myself, I am okay. 

Virat Kohli told iplt20.com.

Chris Gayle is the self-proclaimed “World Boss” and “Universe Boss”. Which title do you think suits Virat Kohli best? Comment below!