'No Sir, He's Too Great For Me'- When Virat Kohli Dismissed His Comparisons With Sir Vivian Richards

Indian captain Virat Kohli often bats with a swagger like rarely anyone ever does in international cricket currently. Virat Kohli has one of the best cover drives, runs swiftly between the wickets, and hardly lets the pressure builds as long as he is on the crease. Hence, it is no secret that most experts compare him with Sir Vivian Richards. However, Greg Chappell revealed that when once linked Kohli with the former West Indian great, the former acknowledged him to be too great for him.

Virat Kohli is arguably the best batsman today across formats, averaging over 50 in Test, ODI and T20I cricket. The Indian captain, who is currently in his fourth tour of Australia, relishes playing in the country and is now preparing for the four-Test match series. That Kohli will depart after the first Test in Adelaide, met with widespread shock as he is not only the most experienced batsman in the line-up but also the best. The right-handed batsman’s absence could massively impact the series.

In his recent column, Greg Chappell wrote that India’s tour of England in 2014 was the turning point of Virat Kohli’s career, facing James Anderson in English conditions. Chappell revealed that after returning to India, Virat Kohli spent time with Lalchand Rajput and some inputs from Sachin Tendulkar helped the 32-year old regain his confidence.

“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. 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,” Chappell told as quoted by Sydney Morning Herald.

Greg Chappell reveals what Lalchand Rajput told Virat Kohli:

When Rajput told Virat Kohli that he could be a player similar to that of Kohli, the Delhi batsman brushed it aside and replied that the Antiguan was too great for him. Greg Chappell also pointed out that the 2014-15 tour of Australia was what put his career on track for greatness, having won over belligerent crowds through his brilliant batting displays.

“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. The ensuing tour of Australia was a watershed in which he set his career on a solid footing and won over the demanding crowds. This country holds a special place in his heart because “respect has to be earned; it is not given easily,” he added.

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