The rise and rise of Virat Kohli

Indias latest blue-eyed boy credits his consistency to a change in attitude.

They were young,brash,arrogant and almost callous towards criticism. Pretty much ambassadors of the generation that they represented. They were the brat-pack of Indian cricket,those who believed staunchly in the I-dont-care attitude. If in the form of Yuvraj Singh they had a mentor of sorts,then Virat Kohli was their chosen ring-leader.

Heavily tattooed,and having just returned home with the Under-19 World Cup trophy,the universe it seemed,or at least in Kohlis mind,was at his feet. It showed in the way he took to international cricket,just months after leading the junior team to glory in Malaysia.

It was not as much about the performance on the field,as it was about displaying the right attitude. It was about carrying the dont mess with me look,each time he walked onto the field,or even posed for a magazine off it. It wasnt just Kohli though. It was a common disorder,suffered equally by the Gen Next the likes of Rohit Sharma & Co.

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So when he speaks about having suffered a harsh reality-check,the change it has had on his demeanour and the manner in which he has recovered from it now,you cant help but believe Kohli. After all,the youngster is talking the talk only after he has walked the walk in outstanding fashion over the last year or so.

The brat-pack,led by Kohli,have finally grown up,and more importantly realised their potential to achieve great success at the highest level.

On Wednesday,Kohli,who fell to a loose shot in the opening ODI,got another chance to display his new-found maturity,one which is not only earning him rave reviews but also a tag of future-captain in many influential circles. And once he survived the first 10 minutes at the crease,it almost seemed inevitable that Kohli,still just 22,will lead India to a comfortable victory. These days,there is a super sense of belief that he induces in cricket fans across the country.

Its almost like a school-boy earning up to his misdemeanours that Kohli laments about having treaded on the wrong path in life and with his cricket.

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I was always determined to do well,Probably what I was doing off the field was not on at that time. I got carried away, he says after recording his 14th ODI half-century-11th in the last 12 months. But I decided to change. It came from within.

Ask him about the many detractors that he had attracted at the start of his career,and Kohli doesnt cringe. Its a question that he has encountered on numerous occasions ever since his dream-run with the bat commenced around 12 months ago. In fact Kohli insists that he enjoys talking about his change in attitude. I have enjoyed answering that question every time. I feel good with myself for having changed what people did not like initially and then transform that into performances. But its not something I want to be too proud of and get relaxed. The whole point in changing from that kind of attitude to this current attitude is to perform consistently, he says. In his second coming,Kohli is not only saying the right things,but he also backing that talk on the cricket field.

Brief scores: WI 240/9 (R Sarwan 56,L Simmons 53; A Mishra 4/31) lost to India 183/3 (V Kohli 81,P Patel 56; A Martin 1/29)

Gayle ignored,Bravo opts out
St Johns: Chris Gayle will not feature in the ongoing ODI series against India,according to a statement released by the WICB today. Meanwhile,Dwayne Bravo has opted out of the remainder of the ODIs.