16 july 2024 Punjab Khabarnama : Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, two of the greatest players of the modern era but poles apart in their personalities. Kohli is furious and aggressive on the field and always ready to give it back to the opponents. On the other hand, Rohit, the current Indian captain, is also an animated character but is calmer and more composed.
While one took the Indian Test team to the top of the world, the other recently led the team to a T20 World Cup victory in the Caribbean.
Indian legspinner Amit Mishra, who has shared the dressing room with both Kohli and Rohit, has shed light on their contrasting nature.
“Power, fame Changed Kohli but Rohit is the same”
“I don’t have the same relation with Kohli like what I had earlier,” Mishra told Shubhankar Mishra on the latter’s YouTube Podcast, . “It’s the difference of their natures. Rohit, the first time when I met him and when I meet him now, is the same. He hasn’t changed. Then, who would you relate more to? The one who hasn’t changed or the one who did according to the situation?.
“I haven’t been in the Indian team for five years but he still jokes with me when we come across. We know what kind of rapport we have maintained with each other. There was a time when we didn’t speak to each other but we talked and broke that barrier and now, we have great bonding,” he added.
When asked about the changes in Kohli over the years, Mishra said, “I have seen Virat change a lot. We had almost stopped talking. When you get fame and power, they think people are reaching out to them for a purpose. I was never one of those.”
“I have known Cheeku since he was 14, when he used to eat samosas, when he needed pizza every night. But there is a huge difference between the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli, the captain. Whenever he meets me, he is very respectful, but it’s obviously not the same anymore. The way I joke around with Rohit, I can’t do it with Kohli,” he added.
Mishra further mentioned how Rohit’s nature makes him everyone’s favourite.
“Rohit has not changed at all. And that’s why he is so successful. He is cheerful and mingles with everyone. He never differentiates between seniors and juniors. Even if he scolds the new boys, he also takes them along to grab a meal. That’s how an elder brother behaves,” Mishra added.
