Former Indian spinner Amit Mishra recently opened up about two of India’s biggest cricket stars: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The former Indian spinner has had the chance, over all these years, to get along with both players, and he made some interesting observations about how they have changed over time. He drew a contrast between their personalities and attitudes, showcasing how fame and leadership affected them differently.
Mishra, who shared the dressing room with Kohli from 2015 to 2017, unsurprisingly spotted a change in Kohli’s behavior when he took over as captain of the Indian cricket team. While Virat Kohli changed with the pressures of leadership, according to Mishra, Rohit Sharma has also remained the same since the beginning of his career. The insights of Mishra elucidate how different experiences in the world of cricket sculpted them into becoming different characters.
Cricket Careers of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
While Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma only started their international cricket careers a year apart, they happened to be two of the most vital batsmen India has had in the past fifteen years. They have undergone several tests together and have tasted major successes, the most prominent of which were the victory in the T20 World Cup and retiring from the T20 Internationals on the same date. Their similar careers could not do justice to Mishra’s career.
Amit Mishra called his friend a good friend and a very positive guy. He had known him since the early days of his cricketing career. But more than anything else, he went on to reiterate that despite being a captain and one experiencing so much success, he expressed how Rohit was still the same approachable, jovial guy when first they met. So in essence, that gave reasons for their friendship standing the test of time and fame with added pressures of leadership.
Mishra drew a comparison between his ongoing friendship with Rohit and his relationship with Virat Kohli. He did admit that his connection with Virat Kohli has been different over the years. According to Mishra, the rise in fame and power for Kohli was so huge that it saw a significant change in his attitude. What was once a close bond that they shared started getting strained as Virat Kohli got more focused on his role as a captain and became less connected to his old friends.
One reason Kohli has fewer friends in the team, Mishra says, is because there was a change in Kohli’s nature when he became captain. Mishra said that success and fame created a distance between Kohli and others. Kohli might see people differently, often thinking that other people have hidden motives for contacting him. This disposition changed personal relationships.
The Change in Kohli’s Attitude
Of late, with fame and success coming his way, there was a distinct change in how he interacted with people. Mishra conceded that, though Kohli is still respectful, that personal connection was missing. Mishra says Kohli’s transformation is the effect of fame and leadership on a person. He says there is pressure to act like a captain.
Amit Mishra’s comments are quite insightful in this view, as they provide an angle from the perspective of the personal lives of cricket legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While Kohli’s success has changed the relationships around him, Rohit Sharma has managed to stay grounded and maintain his friendships. Mishra’s reflections would be valuable in understanding how fame and leadership can influence even the most celebrated athletes.
