Virat Kohli is the Don Bradman of ODI cricket: Arun Lal

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In the last five years, Kohli has turned into the leading ODI batsman. What Kohli is doing is nothing short of extraordinary. He knows how to build an innings. He doesn't go after the leather from the word go and he has been consistent -- W.V. RAMAN, Former India opener Anyone with talent can succeed, but what's more important in cricket is mental aspect.
And Kohli in that regard has plenty to back up his talent. The confidence he gains reflects on his performance with the bat -- ARUN LAL, Former India player.
“He has the right mix of caution and aggression. And that's what makes him special,“ former India opener W.V . Raman summed it up describing the attributes of Virat Kohli, who has been long touted as the successor to M.S. Dhoni.
Kohli's on-field aggro has been drawing as much attention as his wristy strokes and sometimes overshadows his cricketing feats, but Raman feels Kohli should be left being himself.
“I don't see anything wrong in his attitude. There is a thin line that separates controlled aggression and overdoing it. Kohli has a unique style. If he changes it, he will be just another cricketer,“ Raman added.
Despite scoring runs by the bucketful, Kohli has been under scanner for his approach. The 24-year-old has scored 4575 runs in 113 matches at an impressive average of 49.72. The most significant number, however, is 15 - the number of centuries to his name that puts him 17th in the list of ton makers.
The fact that Sri Lankan run machines Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara have only one better in almost triple the matches than the Indian underlines the magnitude of Kohli's achievement in a short span of time. Even the likes of Virender Sehwag and Sir Viv Richards are behind the Delhi lad.
Former India opener Arun Lal, who has seen Kohli's rise at close quarters courtesy his commentary assignments, said: “Kohli is the Bradman of ODI cricket. If he continues at this rate, Kohli can beat a lot of ODI records.“
More than half his ODI runs - 2915 including nine centuries - have come while chasing which is testimony to Kohli's performance under pressure.
In the last five years, Kohli's strike rate of 86.22 in 69 matches is the highest for any for any player who bat ted at number three in 20 or more matches.
In that period, he also scored nine tons and 17 fifties. Over all, 14 out of is 15 centuries have paved the way for India's victories -another record in the last five years.
“What Kohli is doing is nothing short of extraordinary . He knows how to build an innings. He doesn't go after the leather from the word go and he has been consistent,“ said Raman.
Arun Lal says the way Kohli construct his innings shows his maturity .
For a country which is in awe of M.S. Dhoni's astute and composed captaincy, Arun says Kohli's aggression might project him in bad light.
“I'm an old school cricketer. Though Kohli is aggressive by nature, he has to realise that he is an ambassador of the county . No doubt, he is learning - we saw that in the Caribbean as well as in the series in Zimbabwe. He is maturing fast,“ he added.