Virat Kohli has been Team India's key player at least for the last decade, not only as a talisman batter but also with his leadership in the team.
Known for his strong mindset and aggressive approach on field, Kohli was able to become the best batter in the world with these qualities. However, not every fan or cricketer has likened to or accepted his style.
Former India leg spinner believed that due to this reputation, Kohli does not evoke the same respect from the cricketing masses like that of Rohit Sharma, MS Dhoni or Sachin Tendulkar.
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Why does Amit Mishra believe that Virat Kohli does not get the respect as Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni or Rohit Sharma?
Amit Mishra, who hails from the same Indian state of Delhi as Virat Kohli, said that the latter has changed a lot since his childhood days, after becoming a cricket superstar unlike Rohit Sharma, who has remained treated his colleagues with the same respect as he did on the first day they met.
The host Shubhankar Mishra asked Amit Mishra if Virat Kohli gets the same respect as the likes of former India cricketers, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid or the recent T20 World Cup winning captain Rohit Sharma, who have big admirers in the cricketing world.
In one of his last interviews as the head coach of the Indian cricket team, Dravid had praised Rohit for his exemplary inter-personal and leadership skills.
"I have really enjoyed working with Rohit (Sharma). He is someone whom I knew as a young boy and I just to grow him as a person and grow as a leader in Indian cricket and what someone like him wanted to contribute to the team over the last 10-12 years, both as a player and now as a leader. It's been a real tribute to him and the effort and time that he has put in."
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"I have really enjoyed seeing his commitment and care to the team just to try and get the environment right where everyone feels safe, enjoys themselves while it's a very competitive and professional environment, it's something I'll miss and some of his connections and with Rohit," Dravid had said.
The host asked Mishra if Kohli who is considered to be one of the greatest cricketers, evokes the same respect as the likes of Rohit, who is loved by both the masses, former colleagues in the cricket space. In reply, the leg spinner said:
"I do not think he has the same respect on a personal level with everyone, to be very honest. The ones who is close to him or those who played under him might give him respect. Like I respect him as a cricketer, but we do not have the same relationship as before, so there might be many others like me."
The discussion then went on about how Virat Kohli has more foreigner cricket friends like Glenn Maxwell or AB de Villiers, and less from the Indian team. While they suggested that people swarm around Rohit Sharma because he treats them like a "friend, not as fans", supposedly unlike Kohli.
Mishra said that it is due to "the difference in nature of the two players", saying:
"Rohit treats his players like a family. I can tell you that he has a great quality in him that he has treated me in the same way when we met for the first time and even when we meet now. Do people respect and relate better with a person like him or someone who changes his [suggesting Kohli] behaviour according to his status."
"For example, I have not played in the Indian team for five years, but Rohit gives me the same respect, we talk and laugh whenever we meet. This relationship has been maintained even when he is at the top [Indian captain] right now and even won the World Cup recently. Personally, he has maintained a great rapport with us. We are still good friends, " he concluded.
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