Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time: Greg Chappell

He may not be the most popular face to have graced Indian cricket history, but Greg Chappell reserved some high praise for Team India and RCB captain Virat Kohli. Former Australian cricketer himself, and a figure of controversy during his stint as the Head coach of the Indian cricket team which ended in the disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign, Chappell has termed Virat Kohli the “most Australian non-Australian” cricketer ever.

Throwing back to his coaching days of the Indian team, Chappel said, “Many previous Indian cricket teams tended to play with undue deference to their opponents, as if in accord with the Gandhian principle. Sourav Ganguly was the first Indian captain to try to change that approach. It worked to a degree in India, but usually hit a hurdle overseas,” Chappell wrote in the ‘Sydney Morning Herald’.

“Virat Kohli does not believe in passive resistance. He is a proponent of all-out aggression. His idea is to dominate the opposition. Kohli is the most Australian non-Australian cricketer of all time. He embodies the new India. As the premier player and captain of the world’s pre-eminent cricket power, he feels an abiding responsibility to the wider game,” he said of Captain Kohli, who he believes has transformed the way India approach the game. 

Apart from being a champion cricketer for his country, Kohli’s stature is far-reaching than just India, and has an aura which transcends across World cricket, believes Chappell, who writes, “Winning games for India is way more important to him and he sees it as his prime objective...he is aware of his status in the game and how he can impact others. If the captain of India is ambivalent towards Test cricket, some administrators would be happy for it to slide into ignominy, as they are seduced by the newer, shinier models,”

“The fact that Kohli champions Test cricket is a huge plus for a format under pressure for time and space in a crowded schedule. Test cricket has always been the pinnacle for him and it has driven him to be fitter and stronger to cope with its demands. It is why he drives his team in these areas because he wants India to be respected in the most demanding format,” he added.

[HT input]