Not just Saina, it’s time India adopted Kohli’s attitude
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Virat Kohli has for long, been referred to as the ‘bad boy of Indian cricket’, with his displays of aggression not going down well with most fans and critics. Yet, with the unparalleled success that he has enjoyed, is it time all of India’s athletes take a leaf out of his book?
All is fair in sport and war just does not apply to India. Indian men, since time immemorial, have been the nicest people on field. Remember how in the Mahabharat, you do not engage someone lower than your skill level, you do not attack someone retreating, you do not attack once it is nightfall. Nothing has changed thousands of years later. Our sportspersons are the epitome of gracefulness. They respect their opponents, are gracious in defeat and grounded in victory. A stray comment or gesture is considered a heinous crime. Aggression is blasphemy. This can probably be attributed to the nation’s most popular sport being cricket- the gentlemen’s game. With barely any contact with the opposition involved, there is no chance of sparks flying and trash talking in the game. Micheal Jordan and Muhammad Ali would have blushed at our levels of 'sanskaar'. Add to it the sport’s biggest icons being 'refined' men like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, and we set benchmarks of courteousness that can prove extraterrestrial on closer inspection.
Digging deeper, India as a country has been rooted in the values of non-violence and peace. The land’s long, successful struggle for freedom is the result of systematic non-violent action by the masses. The citizens pride themselves for not having ‘attacked’ any other country unprovoked, despite having the third largest military force in the world. Calm, passive, peace-loving- all qualities expected of ‘Mama’s favourite’. All this reflected on the sports field. A combination of cricket’s gentlemanliness and Indian culture’s niceties meant the biggest international sports persons of the country went into a game as the good guys, played it fair, respected the ‘others’ and stayed humble.
He was “that a******”, and until recently Facebook pages abounded with names like 'I hate Virat Kohli'. Now the same Kohli, for all his non-typical Indianness, is the nation’s best cricketer today.
In stepped Virat Kohli, going in as the bad guy, playing it fair but hard, looking to show the opposition their rightful place and backing his abilities. He wouldn’t back down from a fight, and giving it back became his trademark. His strident attitude led to much criticism from critics, fans and contemporaries all over. He was, after all, committing sacrilege by not heeding to the ‘code of conduct’ drilled into him by India and cricket. He was “that a******”, and until recently Facebook pages abounded with names like 'I hate Virat Kohli'. Now the same Kohli, for all his non-typical Indianness, is the nation’s best cricketer today. His aggression drives his hunger to win and Kohli has channeled it into producing astounding results day in and day out. The Delhi boy is among the best athletes around the world who have embraced this audacity and fearlessness to reach heights of excellence in their field.
© GettySome of the most successful sportsmen have historically been belligerent people who walked the talk. They would play mind-games with their opponent, trash talk them and then beat them hands down. ‘The Greatest’ was in-fact, the pioneer of trash talking. Muhammad Ali would write poems for his opponents(not praising them of course), call them names, get into their head and half beat them already. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, two of the best men to have ever dribbled a basketball, always believed they were the best. Their aggression on and off the court was visible, never backing down from a fight or never giving opposition more respect than they deserved. Usain ‘Lightning’ Bolt has often called himself ‘legend’ and put down rivals at press conferences, with a clear intent of showing them his superiority. Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid’s prized footballer has never shied away from displaying his emotions and his loyalties on and off the field. He plays with unmatched vigour and forcefulness that reflect his claim of greatness. The result- over 500 goals at the international level and a number of awards we could only dream of. Rafael Nadal, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic- the list is endless.
What unites all these athletes from various backgrounds and fields is their apparent swagger, their unswaying belief in their abilities, their drive to win and the absolute aggression that stems from it. These are athletes that do not cheat or look to unsporting ways to win. They simply want it bad enough and it shows. It shows in the intensity with which they strike a ball, swim a lap or celebrate a win. Their displays of aggression are a signal of intent, but not always of arrogance. And the results are there for all to see. Of India’s most successful athletes in recent times, a majority of them are the ones who wear their heart on their sleeves. Leander Paes- two time calendar slam winner, 18 Grand Slam titles to his name- celebrates vociferously. Sushil Kumar, arguably India’s best individual Olympian has never shied away from making statements of intent. Vijender Singh has always been the aggressive pugilist, unafraid of declaring his ambitions and his willingness to fight. Touted to be India’s next best bet in badminton, PV Sindhu has displayed attacking intent and aggression in all of her historic wins, never letting her opponents believe they could win.
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Virat Kohli’s on field actions send a clear signal to the opposition of what success means to him and the pains he has taken to get there. Nothing unfair. Just hard, intense sport.
Aggressive displays, are almost always the fuel to a winning drive, to a passionate performance. A confident, ambitious opponent gets into the rival’s head, toying with their belief. Kohli’s pre and post match comments, especially against the Aussies, displayed an attitude of standing up to the opposition, a vital psychological victory. His passionate celebrations and his habit of sledging them back showed them that he wasn’t going to be trampled over. It was an indication of his hunger to succeed and win. Virat Kohli’s on field actions send a clear signal to the opposition of what success means to him and the pains he has taken to get there. Nothing unfair. Just hard, intense sport. Saina Nehwal, after her Australian Open victory on Sunday, said she was surprised by her attacking display and admitted that her triumph was because of her new-found aggression-inspired by Virat Kohli. On social media, she told the Indian Test captain that she wanted to be more like him to achieve success. It’s time the entire sporing fraternity of India followed suit, and stepped on to the path of greater success.
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