When Virat Kohli refused to be compared to Viv Richards

Comparisons are a way of keeping the conversations going in cricket. However, often coaches and experts use it to uplift the morale of a cricketer struggling with form. One such comparison was made by Lalchand Rajput who compared India skipper Virat Kohli to Sir Viv Richards. Comparison was made by Rajput in 2014 when Kohli was going through one of the toughest phases in his career and was low in confidence after a horrendous tour to England.

But how Kohli reacted to the comparison proves why he is one of the most honest learners in the game of cricket. Virat was quick to respond that Sir Viv was too great for him, politely turning down the comparison.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell has made these revelations in his column for Sydney Morning Herald.

“From a cricketing point of view, the turning point for Virat was his disappointing tour of England in 2014. English conditions and bowlers – Anderson in particular – had made batting seem more difficult than solving Fermat’s last theorem,” Chappell wrote.

“On his return to India, Kohli turned to Rajput for help. They spent 14 days together, working on getting into better positions to deal with the best deliveries. Tendulkar also offered some cogent inputs on batting against top bowlers.

“During one of these sessions, Rajput told Kohli that he could be a similar player to Viv Richards. Kohli wasn’t convinced. ‘No sir,’ he said, ‘he is too great for me.’ It is now looking like a prescient statement. Sir Vivian would be proud to have played some of the innings that Kohli has played in the intervening years.