There’s hardly an element of surprise given the fact that cricketers such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are often cited as not just extraordinary performers but even stars that are in a sense bigger than the game. Their standing in the annals of cricket outshines their own tenure and there’s little doubt about that. And here’s a basic example. Long after MS Dhoni called time on his iconic career wherein he entertained and inspired awe both as a player for India and as its captain, his example is still cited on everyday discussions that aren’t only restricted to the commentary box.
In similar vein, despite having given up on T20I and Test Cricket, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s example is still given and rightly so for their performances and style of play; the way they inspired awe and generated a host of records in all parts of the world where not only recognised cricket experts but a rising gaggle of cricket content creators often take their name and narrate their stories.
But there’s a catch in that. And here’s something that you may just find interesting.
According to Ravichandran Ashwin, former legendary off spinner and a devoted member of the Indian team, it can be said that a lot of people often deliberately take the name of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni to basically add on to their popularity.
As a matter of fact, taking a cue from what Ashwin just shared recently, here’s a subject that perhaps beckons some observation.
Had what Ashwin is claiming not been true, then why would news outlets and other publications be doing stories on these great cricketers? And make no doubt about the fact that there’s every now and again that one finds stories being done on such demigods of the sport. Isn’t it?
Somewhere, it beckons some introspection, taking the name of a Kohli and Dhoni sort of automatically ups the level of interest or intrigue in the context of what is being said or written about them. For they are big saleable stories in their own right.
To add more substance to what the great iconic spinner from India said in his insight about Dhoni and Kohli, it is worth noticing what happened recently. In the context of Rohit Sharma, the former Indian captain generated enormous interest just recently when at the back of a single scratchy innings where he did appear far from comfortable at the crease, it didn’t take long for several opinion makers to allege that the upcoming third and final ODI could well be the right hander’s last game in the format.
What started as plainly a theory with perhaps no substance to it whatsoever completely hyped- and for no apparent- reason the fictional theme of Rohit Sharma’s retirement. It is only when respected cricket publications featuring the quote of BCCI’s Mr Saikia remarked that no such thing is happening in the near future that the fans breathed a sigh of relief. But until then, those who had to benefit in terms of ramping up the likes or retweets or shares to their posts on social media by spreading unfounded rumours on Rohit Sharma had benefitted.
So in that light, whatever R. Ashwin said is not untrue.
