Image courtesy of: Zee News
Kohli believes Tendulkar reigns supreme over all other superheroes
Batman, Superman and Spiderman are three of the most beloved superheroes amongst today’s generation, but for India batsman Virat Kohli, the ‘Little Master’ Sachin Tendulkar has always been his superhero and will be “for life”.
“My superhero has always been Tendulkar and it will be Tendulkar for life,” he said. “He is someone who has inspired me immensely. Just watching him play for India, I used to dream of winning games for India, because he used to do it single handedly. I just had a vision and got a chance to play with him and do something like that. He has been my superhero and he will be for my lifetime.”
During the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, Kohli reminisced how he replaced his fallen “superhero” at the crease and the 24-year-old batted as if he had been given a one-of-a-kind super power.
“When I was walking into bat in [the] 2011 World Cup final when my idol got out, I felt I was playing in a field where there [was] no one else apart from me but 11 other Sri Lankan players,” he said. “So it was totally quiet. So I wish I had some super powers so I could do something really special.”
Continuing on the theme of superheroes, Kohli explained who he saw as the heroes and villains of the cricketing world.
“In the game of cricket, [a] hero is a person who respects the game and does not corrupt the game,” he said. “The one who doesn’t or corrupts the game, they are the villain. They should be punished and they have been punished in the past.”
With Kohli primed to take over as captain once Mahendra Singh Dhoni retires, the 24-year-old admitted that he loved the challenge of captaining India.
“I like to always lead from the front and set an example for whoever is playing with me or around me,” he said. “I like taking responsibilities. That is my natural thing.”
With India having won the Champions Trophy and recent tri-series tournament against Sri Lanka and the West Indies, Kohli believes the future of Indian cricket is getting brighter and brighter.
“I can’t guarantee total success but if we continue this way, it will be a good time for Indian cricket,” he said. “A lot of things that would make people happy.”
Kohli also stated that many of the younger players have replaced senior members in the squad since they have shown more hunger and desire for success.
“I don’t think experience matters, especially in limited overs game,” Kohli said. “You need eleven players who are hungry for success, hardworking and whose vision is the team victory. If all 15 players are strong and it is a strong unit, [it] is good.”
The 24-year-old, who is currently captaining India on their tour of Zimbabwe, added that he sees every single one of his bats as a “weapon”.
“The bat is not a toy, it’s a weapon,” he said. “It gives me everything in life, which helps me to do everything on the field.”