They say that “Being a role model is the most powerful form of educating” in this world. This famous line by John Wooden stands true across generations one after the other. In today’s fast-paced world, where things happen in a fraction of a second, being educated is immensely important. By ‘educated’, we don’t just mean education in the form of literacy. By education, we mean the sum total of old traditional values that shouldn’t really get lost with changing times. A role model is like that light at the end of a tunnel which guides you when you are lost. A role model is like that glimmer of hope that teaches you to never give up, come what may and fight till the very end. In a country like India, where cricket is considered a religion and cricketers as divine forces, there’s absolutely no doubt about the fact that Virat Kohli is one of the most popular role models for youngsters in this country. His on-field aggression and confidence and, most importantly, his ability to transform that aggression into positive performance is something worthy of learning, as not everyone has the same level of self-confidence. As far as scoring big runs and achieving milestones and records are concerned, Virat Kohli is pretty much at par with Sachin Tendulkar. In fact, if Virat Kohli continues to play with the same kind of performances that he’s shown from his end in the last decade for a few more years, there’s every chance that he can surpass even the great Tendulkar in terms of runs and a lot of other records. Given the way he’s gone ahead in his career, comparisons have always been drawn by fans between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli.
Although I personally don’t believe in comparison between two sports personalities, mainly when they belong to different eras, it is something we can’t ignore. While some feel that Sachin Tendulkar was, is and will remain the best batsman India has ever produced, a lot think that Virat Kohli is better than Tendulkar. But hey folks, guess what? It’s not just the runs that end up being the reason for the comparison between Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. It is also the temperament, both on and off the field, that is often compared between the two.
While Sachin Tendulkar, throughout his entire career, has always been away from any kind of verbal tussle or abusive situation, Virat Kohli, on the other hand, likes to get into the skin of his opponent, and that’s why he doesn’t shy away from giving them a taste of their own medicine if they rub him the wrong way. Sachin Tendulkar, on the other hand, throughout his entire career, never reacted aggressively to sledging and always let his bat do the talking. ‘King Kohli’, on the other hand, ensures that in such situations, he gives a befitting reply to the opposition both verbally and with the bat.
As an ardent cricket fan who’s followed the playing days of both Tendulkar and Virat Kohli, my observation may or may not be entirely relatable to you all. With Sachin Tendulkar, I have always had that feeling that because he’s always been perceived as ‘perfect’ in every way in terms of behaviour and other factors, he’s had the pressure of actually maintaining it for the sake of the younger generation by not losing his cool despite situations needing him to do so. With Tendulkar, you almost feel that he simply just doesn’t have a bad bone in his body. That’s why, it has come across to a great extent that Tendulkar has always absorbed pressure that way and has chosen not to react to hostile situations just because he has a certain image to maintain for the youngsters.
Kohli, on the other hand, comes across as someone who simply doesn’t bat an eye in terms of wanting to be ‘perfect’. With him, the feeling has always been like he’s accepted very well that he can’t be perfect in terms of behaviour on the cricket field, and that’s why he doesn’t even try to be so. He’s genuine and that’s why, if you test his patience and limits, he will never shy away from getting back at you while simultaneously maintaining a particular line of respect. But hey, readers, the bigger question is that just because Virat Kohli abuses or gets angry and makes gestures like showing a middle finger on the cricket field, does it actually make him a bad role model for the Gen-Z?
Well, as far as me and my thoughts are concerned, I personally feel that that’s definitely not the case. In fact, many youngsters have learnt from Kohli’s fearless attitude that if someone tries to mess up with your emotional and mental stability, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with taking a stand for yourself and giving it back as a form of self-defence mechanism. Additionally, we Indians are traditionally used to taking sh*t from people and kind off get used to it in such a way as if that’s an integral part of dealing with life. Well, to a great extent, that’s precisely why it took us years to realize the importance of Nationalism and patriotism and actually stand up against the British Raj in the pre-independence era. For the longest time, we had traditionally simply accepted the fact for no good reason that being ruled by the British as slaves is our life and that’s what we need to accept. But hey, there’s always two sides to the coin. If the Indian Independence movement needed a Mahatma Gandhi who was soft-spoken and ‘all sweet’, it also required the spirit of a Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose who would not accept things at his end just for the sake of it. That’s why the world of cricket needs Sachin Tendulkar as well as Virat Kohli at the same time.
If one keeps the ‘aggressive’ nature of Virat Kohli aside, there’s actually so much to learn from him. The discipline with which he trains and takes care of his diet and body regularly is inspiring to the core. The fact that this young bloke could actually go and play on the cricket field and score a century just a day after his father’s demise speaks volumes of the mental toughness that he’s conditioned with. That kind of mental toughness is worthy of learning immensely in today’s world of intense competition. From Virat Kohli, another essential aspect that individuals must learn is consistency over a period of time. Yes, you might have been great yesterday and you might be great today. But you also need to work hard and be great tomorrow as well. This is something that we must learn from Virat Kohli. Of course, I can add to the list more and more. But another thing we must learn from Virat Kohli as a role model is how to deal with failures and expectations after seeing success at a significant level.
Since 2021, Kohli has struggled to a great extent regarding his form. He was heavily criticised and trolled for his poor performances. But he never gave up and continued to work hard and train well and finally, the results came his way. Today, he’s the same Kohli again regarding consistency that we always knew. As they say, “form is temporary but class is permanent.”
To sum things up, I believe there are just too many things that youngsters and Gen-Z should learn from Virat Kohli today. And well, as far as abuses are concerned, yes, we all would like to see him mellow down a little simply because of the status he’s achieved today. However, let’s come to terms with the fact quickly that no one is perfect, and Virat Kohli, too, is a human being with his own way of expressing emotions. Just because it’s not similar to how an MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar reacts doesn’t mean he’s always wrong. Yes, the intensity can be mellowed down but just based on this trait, if someone doesn’t consider him a modern-day role model and icon, he or she is undoubtedly living in a fool’s paradise.