Stay calm and keep winning

Subhash Rajta

Tribune News Service

Pune, February 22

Virat Kohli is rushing at a breakneck speed towards becoming one of the best cricketers ever. He’s also making an insane amount of money — he signed a mind-boggling Rs 110-crore deal with Puma a couple of days back. And quite admirably, at the peak of his prowess and popularity, the 28-year-old is making equally serious efforts “to evolve as a person” too.

A couple of days back, the Indian skipper posted a picture of himself holding a spiritual classic, Autobiography of a Yogi. “I love this book. A must read for all those who are brave enough to let their thoughts and ideologies be challenged. The understanding and implementation of the knowledge in this book will change your whole perspective and life. Believe in the divine and keep marching on doing good deeds #onelove #begrateful #helponeanother,” he wrote.

The part of the caption that talks about letting your thoughts and ideologies be challenged is quite intriguing. It was perhaps his loathness at be challenged or questioned that, not too long back, made him celebrate wildly on reaching a milestone, get into an ugly showdown with Gautam Gambhir during an IPL match, and thrust his middle finger at the spectators in Australia.

In the last couple of years, however, his transformation as a person has been as remarkable as a cricketer. He has of course not given up his aggression altogether, but he’s become far more restrained and dignified in its expression. “I was working on those things already on a constant basis. I wanted to learn from my mistakes and evolve as a person,” he said when asked if the arrival of Anil Kumble as head coach helped him channelise his aggression better. “Anil bhai channelled it much better with his experience.”

Age of calmness

For many, his transformation from a brash youngster into a mature, level-headed leader and batsman he has become may seem astonishing, but for Kohli it’s natural progression, part of growing up. “With age you tend to understand things better and you become more aware of what needs to be done and what doesn’t,” he said. “A lot of people lacked a lot of patience with me initially. They wanted me to be a 35-year-old matured person when I was 22! It doesn’t really happen, I’ve gone through the gradual process and I am pretty comfortable with myself as a person, and pretty confident about where my game stands.”

It’s this understanding of the self and his game, and the effort he puts in every day to improve on both fronts, that make him the role model he has become for the youth.