'Male Model, pin-up boy, lovely, funny; a charmer': Ian Gould's endless Virat Kohli praise

'Male model, pin-up boy, lovely & funny man, charmer'. These were some of the compliments from a long list that umpire Ian Gould showered on Team India's skipper Virat Kohli as he spoke about the growth of the young & fiery batsman. The former member of the ICC Elite Panel of cricket umpires spoke about the transition of Virat Kohli from being an impulsive cricketer to an aggressive and strategic captain who has earned the respect of the cricketing world. Gould compared the current Indian skipper to Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar and opined that the whole of India backed Virat Kohli just like they backed the ICC Hall of Famer. 

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'Male model, pin-up boy, charming...' 

Ian Gould showered praise on skipper Virat Kohli and compared him to a male model, pin-up boy who knew the game inside out, both past and present. The former English cricketer, according to ESPN CricInfo, admitted that Virat Kohli batted like him on a couple of occasions and that he had to tell off the Indian skipper for slogging it. Calling Virat Kohli a charmer, Gould compared the present Indian skipper to the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, saying that he received the backing of the whole of India just like the Master Blaster did. Gould also spoke about the transition of Virat Kohli from a young player with short bursts of temper to a classy captain who is one of the most looked upon cricketers in the world at present. The umpire opined that the Indian skipper had learnt to be more respectful over the years and that he was a very 'worldly' man. 

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Virat Kohli reveals how he become skipper

Team India's skipper Virat Kohli offered some insight into how he was chosen as the captain of India, revealing that his predecessor MS Dhoni had a huge role to play it. Elaborating on the process involved in becoming the captain, Virat Kohli said that it wasn't possible for someone to become a skipper overnight and revealed that he was observed by MS Dhoni for a long period of time before the trust was built. Speaking to spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli spoke about the process involved and the time taken by his predecessor in observing, picking and grooming his successor. 

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I think a large portion of me becoming captain was also to do with him (MSD) observing me for a long period of time. It just can't happen like he goes and selectors say 'you become captain'," Kohli replied to a specific question on the process of becoming the leader of the team.

"The guy who is there, he takes responsibility and says okay I think this is the next guy and I will tell you how he is going and then slowly that transition is formed. 

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