Virat Kohli today completed yet another double century, in what has been a superb 2016 for him. England have faced the heat in the four test matches they have played in India. Kohli and co. have applied the pressure on the Brits and they haven’t been able to cope up with it. This team under Kohli looks very different to the ones in the past. The utter dominance in home conditions irrespective of the oppositions is joy to watch as an Indian fan.

If India do wrap up the series tomorrow, it will be a monumental achievement. Kohli has lead by example over the course of the four test matches. He has scored close to 700 runs in this series and dragged India to what looks like a potential series win.

Virat Kohli – the batsman

There is little doubt that Virat Kohli is the best all-round batsman in the world. But it doesn’t end there. The Indian test captain is easily the most influential player in the cricketing world today. Kohli carries an aura around him, just like Sachin Tendulkar did. When he walks onto the pitch all eyes are on him. He has taken over the baton from Tendulkar, and carries the hopes of 1.2 billion people on his shoulders.

Kohli’s performances with the bat have been outstanding since the very beginning. He has become a run machine in all formats of the game. The most astonishing thing about Kohli is how he adjusts his game depending on the format. There aren’t many in world cricket right now who can score runs in T20 at an average of 55+ and a strike rate of 135+ and also curb the temptation to hit every ball and build a solid test innings.

Barring the two T20s against the West Indies, Kohli has performed in every series and tournament he has played in this year. With over 2500 runs in international cricket and nearly 1000 runs in the IPL, Virat Kohli, the batsman has come a long way in people’s eyes.

Virat Kohli – the captain

BCCI needs to be given credit for how they have allowed Kohli develop as a future captain under the leadership of M.S. Dhoni. There aren’t many in world cricket who can be a better mentor, and Kohli has been smart enough to learn as much as possible from him. 

Virat Kohli’s aggression is infectious. Gone are the days when Indian players used to end up getting sledged and bullied by foreign teams. These players give it back to the opposition in the meanest way possible. This has been a welcome change. But Kohli’s men have backed that aggression up with the results at home. There is air of invincibility around the team when they play in India. Under Kohli, India has won 85% of the matches playing at home with 6 wins and 1 draw out of 7.

The real test for Kohli would be when he takes this team abroad. Kohli will surely be tested in foreign conditions. Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja will not pick up all 10 wickets everywhere. Kohli will have to develop his fast bowlers and make match-winners out of them.

Challenges ahead as a player and captain

Virat Kohli still has his best years ahead of him. Taking into account the attention he pays to his fitness, there is little doubt that he’ll go on to have a great and long career ahead. With his increasing tally of runs and growing stature, comparisons with the greats of the game are bound to happen. How he performs over the next 5 years would decide if these comparisons still stay and how the fans will remember him.

But Kohli also has the huge responsibility to take the reigns from one of the greatest eras of captaincy the game has seen into another one. Tours to Australia, England, South Africa, New Zealand and hopefully one day, Pakistan will show his real caliber as a captain. How he reacts when the chips are down and nothing is working will decide if he becomes a great captain or just another one.