Four Batsmen Who Were Compared To Virat Kohli But Soon Faded Away
Published - 13 Jun 2020, 12:57 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:30 AM
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The name Virat Kohli is not only a name as of today it is a brand. Having made his international debut in 2008, Kohli couldn’t cement his spot as a regular fixture in the national side amid the stalwarts and seniors in the team. It was only after the 2011 World Cup that he was seen as the future and began playing innings of substance, transforming into a genuine match-winner.
At present, the Indian captain is a prolific and consistent run-getter across all three formats, averaging above 50. But in between, there were a few cricketers, who started well but couldn’t quite carry on and remain consistent for a number of years like Virat Kohli. Such cricketers stayed in sight to become a Virat Kohli-like man for their team; however, faded away.
We take a look at four such batsmen who attracted comparisons to Virat Kohli but faded away:
Ahmed Shehzad:
Not only by looks but also by intensity, Ahmed Shehzad resembles a lot like Virat Kohli. However, when it comes to class, commitment, and temperament, the Indian captain stands miles ahead than his Pakistani counterpart.
The Pakistan opening batsman has found himself central to plenty of on-field controversies. In 2014, he made inappropriate religious comments in an altercation with Tillakaratne Dilshan. A year later, Shehzad claimed a catch off Lahiru Thirimane, when the ball clearly hit the ground according to the replays.
As far as the 28-year old’s performances are concerned, he has 2605 runs in 81 ODIs and 1471 in 59 T20Is. Ahmed Shehzad last played for Pakistan in October 2019 against Sri Lanka. He played in two out of three T20Is, scoring 4 and 13.
Umar Akmal:
Umar Akmal has his roots from a stalwart cricketing family, ranging from his father-in-law to his brother-in-law. Dunedin in 2009 saw the birth of Umar Akmal, having found himself needing to rescue Pakistan on debut and put on 176 along with Kamran Akmal. Across two innings, as a 19-year old, the right-handed batsman scored 204 runs, including 129 in the first.
Although Pakistan lost the Test, Akmal made a dream start. But it all got overshadowed by a series of controversies for giving unauthorized interviews to media and underperformances. The latest of them, involving the 30-year old facing ban for three years from all cricket on account of failing to report corrupt approaches ahead of this year’s Pakistan Super League (PSL). The PCB handed him a harsh penalty due to lack of remorse.
Dinesh Chandimal:
Dinesh Chandimal is arguably one of the most talented and level-headed batsmen in the Sri Lankan setup. The retirements of mainstays like Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, and Tillakaratne Dilshan put extra responsibility on Chandimal. The former Sri Lankan captain’s strongest suit is Tests in which he averages 40.81 in 57 games.
Yet, he hasn’t fully translated his performances anything monumental across all three formats. Chandimal’s averages in 146 ODIs and 54 T20Is are 32.42 and 18.60 respectively, which proves that he hasn’t come full circle. Being 30 years old, the right-handed batsman has a chance moving forward to cement his spot.
Jonathan Trott:
Jonathan Trott was comfortably one of the most consistent batsmen from 2009 to 2011, averaging over 40 in Test cricket. In ODIs, Trott was even more prolific, averaging 49.33, 47.86, 52.60, 41.00, and 61.10 in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Having scored a century on Test debut, the South African-born played an integral role in England’s 2010-11 Ashes series victory in Australia. The next tour down under in 2013-14 was the turning point of his career for the worse.
After England’s 381-run defeat in the first Test in Brisbane, the right-handed batsman ruled himself out of the remainder of the series due to stress-related illness. He returned in 2015 against the West Indies and retired from international cricket after scoring 72 runs in three Tests at 12.00.
