Virat Kohli - The (Little) Master's Apprentice

We have long held the view here at The Reverse Sweep that Virat Kohli is by far the best of the new generation of Indian batsmen.

Whilst the likes of Murail Vijay, Suresh Raina and to a lesser extent Abhinav Mukund have all been handed earlier and more frequent opportunities to cement a place in the Indian Test line-up, it is blindingly obvious that in terms of talent and technique all should lag someway behind Kohli in the pecking order.

Kohli has certainly made a big impact in the one day international arena and already has seven hundreds and an average a tick under 47 from his 68 matches thus far. He has simply been too good for England in the current series with his hundred at Delhi being an innings that his English counterparts could only dream of compiling on slow Indian wickets.

Yet Raina also has a good one day record, so what makes Kohli stand a class apart in our opinion?

Both are talented without a doubt, but it is Kohli who seems to have by far the better temperament and it is Kohli who looks to have a technique that would flourish on different types of wickets - be they slow turners, or fast and bouncy.

Kohli's Test career may have started inauspiciously in the Caribbean earlier this year with just 76 runs in three Tests, but we'd put a fairly substantial wager on those stats being vastly improved sooner rather than later with Kohli likely to supplant Raina in the side in the not too distant future.

The likes of Tendulkar, Laxman, Dravid and even Sehwag may not have that much gas left in the tank, but the future of India's batting seems in fairly safe hands with the Little Master's Apprentice.

Where next?

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the King of Cool

England are as bad as India

Is it really Jonathan Trott's fault?

Virender Sehwag was brilliant, but don't forget Virat Kohli

An XI of youngsters to shine in 2010 and beyond

Check out all our Reverse Sweep cricket heroes and zeroes 

If you like this, follow us on Twitter @thereversesweep

Comments

[wilo]

Yeah, got to agree with you, but I was also pretty impressed with Mukund in the Test Series in England. I think he'll make the grade too.

[The Reverse Sweep]

Yes, he didn't look too bad and English conditions were certainly going to test out his technique. Surprised that the selectors went with Yuvraj ahead of Kohli, although I suppose he offers a few useful overs with the ball as well.