daring pangas … all this adds colour & pizazz to the game,
something that only a flamboyant youth can offer. For
marketers, performance alone is never enough. They need
cutting-edge brio; spirited animation that is vigorous and
vibrant unleashing energy & excitement amidst the crazy
heat & dust of a competitive game that is fan-friendly.
Delhi-based Cricket fan(atic?) Shivaji Guha comes in next
with all cylinders firing. Like my nephew he is totally cool
about Virat’s non-politically-correct post-match statement
in Sri Lanka and his body language. “Its time to physically
express and articulate fearlessness & strength in the public
domain because only then can it flash the right signals. For
too long have we been the good, calm, dignified, wellbehaved guys taking loads of bullying and abuse from other
teams. Virat’s on-camera statement demonstrated India’s
new spirit of giving it back. Bravo!” Marketing executive
Saurav Shukla however tempers this fussilade with informed
thought. “There is no doubt that he is the public face of
dynamic youngistan, feisty & fearless, impatient to take
his team and nation ahead, but he needs to hasten slowly.
Impulsive and headstrong, he must look before he leaps.
His intent is spot-on and as a hugely gifted talent, he does
lead from the front, but he needs to calm down …” Veteran
iconic spinner Bishen Bedi agrees. The legend believes
that Virat Kohli’s immense talent is an acknowledged fact.
His captaincy however is a new chapter and he brings his
own style & method of leadership. “The media should not
constantly indulge in the hype or comparison game because
it is grossly unfair and out of context. It also does nothing
of value to the great game. These are very early days and
we should let this brilliant cricketer settle in before we start
shooting our mouth.” Bangalore-based collegiate Sapna
Sharma pitches in with her spin. “All captains bring their
own style of leadership to the game. Azhar, Ganguly,
Tendulkar, Dravid, M.S. and now Kohli – they are all different
individuals. Everything considered, Kohli is perhaps
closest to Saurav Ganguly in that he is as combative and
in-your-face as Dada was. He is – more than any previous
captain – also in total sync with the mood & milieu of today’s
trendy youngsters, with his sexy tattoos, taut physique and
flamboyant mouthing of abuse every time a wicket falls
or century is achieved! Is it a good thing? Silly question
because youth, emotion, impulsiveness and hot blood
seldom tangos with morality & value judgement. It all hangs
out, because that’s the way it is. We love him because he
represents the best of young, aspirational India and is the
finest leader to take on any team because he believes in
fighting fire with fire!”
Commentators also believe that – at another level – Virat
Kohli truly epitomises all the positives of cricket in terms of
playing hard, playing fair and playing to win. His partnership
with the astute Ravi Shastri is the best thing that happened
to Indian cricket, because they both believe in “going for it,
come what may.” Powered by the likes of Rohit wSharma,
Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma and others, who full-bloodedly
back his aggression, angst & attitude to the hilt, an
inspirational & motivational leader, Kohli loves challenges
and South Africa promises to be a great contest under his
captaincy. It is also believed that all the bad name, stigma &
muck attached to IPL and its corrupt ways could be a thing
of the past with the positivity that Kohli & his men bring to the
table. As a veteran sports watcher put it “These are a young
bunch of passionate and committed cricketers determined to
zoom ahead with good, honest, on-field performances. They
have a young, exciting & adventurous captain, constantly
charging up the team to give their best and never unleashing
anything under two hundred percent from himself. Win
some, lose some … that comes with the territory, but Virat
Kohli as the new, vigorous, vibrant & versatile Mr. India of
Indian cricket, is undoubtedly all set to blaze new trails and
scale new heights, offering a masculinity harnessed in the
service of combat against other men, in a noble showdown
for team & nation. We can only wish Virat and his merry
men, god speed!
25