Virat Kohli Named In TIME's "Most Influential" List
Indian cricket’s superstar Virat Kohli has added yet another feather to his already illustrious cap. The batting stalwart has further enhanced his reputation as the biggest name in the game by making it to TIME’s magazine. The renowned magazine has included the India captain on its ‘100 Most Influential People’ list for 2018.
The 29-year old is one of the only six sportspeople to make the prestigious list.
The other five in the list are – Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, Kevin Durant (basketball), Chloe Kim (snowboarding), Adam Rippon (figure skating) and JJ Watt (American football).
Kohli has left his contemporaries well behind with his unprecedented consistency. At present, he is the only player with an average of over 50 in all the formats of the game. He is the world’s top ranked ODI batsman and reigning ICC player of the year.
In 2017, he scored the third-most runs in history across all three formats for a calendar year. The right-handed batsman amassed a staggering 2,818 runs which included 11 hundreds. Overall, at just 29, he has scored a scarcely-believable 56 hundreds. With 35 hundreds, he is second in the list of most ODI tons.
His record as skipper has been equally impressive. Last year, he led India to Test series wins over Australia and Bangladesh, as well as Sri Lanka twice. India also reached the Champions Trophy final, and won ODI series against England, West Indies, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand.
He has started the ongoing year in the same fashion. On the tour of South Africa, he scored an unbelievable 871 runs across the three formats. That is the most runs by an Indian captain on an away tour.
Kohli’s illustrious former teammate, Sachin Tendulkar wrote a tribute for him for TIME. The batting legend explained that a decade ago he knew he was witnessing the rise of a “remarkable” player.
“The U19 World Cup in 2008 was very important for India, as it would define the next bunch of youngsters who would go on to represent the nation,” Tendulkar wrote.
“That was the first time I watched this young, passionate player lead India. Today Virat Kohli is a household name and a champion in cricket. Even back then, his hunger for runs and consistency was remarkable, something that has become the hallmark of his game.
“Every sportsman knows what it’s like to have good spells and bad ones too. Virat took the criticism he faced during a disappointing West Indies series (in 2016) and returned home with a goal: to improve not only his technique, but also his fitness level. He’s never looked back,” he added.
Kohli, meanwhile, is currently preparing for the tour of England. He will be looking to make amends for his horror show when India visited England in 2014.
India lost the series 3-1, and Kohli was one of the worst performers. He averaged just 13.40 in ten innings with a top score of 39.
