Virat Kohli’s rise was no surprise to those who saw him early: Brett Lee hails Team India superstar

New Delhi: Legendary pacer Brett Lee feels Virat Kohli’s competitive intensity set him apart from others during the early days of his international career. Despite not having the best talent or technique as a youngster, Kohli went on to establish his credentials as one of the best batters of the present era. Lee believes Kohli’s success is down to his attitude rather than talent.

Lee believes Kohli was one of those athletes who are far from the best at the start of their careers, but they carry the mental toughness which helps them succeed over time. Recalling their first few face-offs, Lee said he could see the fire in Kohli’s eyes, and he knew that the Indian batter was destined for greatness.

“You can see it in his eyes. There are sportspeople that, they have got it, and they might not have it at the start, but they have got that mental attitude, whether they can just focus more than other people,” Lee said while speaking about Kohli on Beer Biceps’ podcast.

“And you have seen his eyes. He looks straight at you and just, not looks through you, but like, ‘It is game on and you are not gonna get me out.’ I saw that when I played against him. You see it now. He has had an incredible career,” added the legendary pacer.

Kohli was not a prodigy, but a talented youngster who rose through the ranks in domestic cricket before earning his India debut. He led India U19 team to a memorable triumph in the 2008 U19 World Cup and was later selected by the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Kohli worked incredibly hard on his fitness and mindset to transform himself into one of the most consistent batters across formats. He remains one of the fittest cricketers around the globe and has continued to scale new heights in his international career with Team India.

Brett Lee refused to compare Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar

Former Australia pacer Lee also refused to make comparisons between Kohli, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar and Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar, explaining how all three dominated in their respective eras. Lee enjoyed some of his best duels with Tendulkar during their playing days.

He also came up against Kohli on a few occasions towards the end of his international career. However, he explained how Kohli and Tendulkar cannot be compared for what they went through before becoming the greats of the game in their respective eras.

“The other thing too, like the other reason why you cannot compare eras is that think of what Sunny Bhai did. You know, Sunny Gavaskar, he was massive, right? And then Sachin Tendulkar then became the guy that would try to take that mantelpiece off, well, that trophy away from him,” Lee explained on the podcast.

“Then Sachin got the glory of the 1.5 billion people back then that were all supporting him and he had to carry the weight of them on his shoulders. Then you throw in Kohli, who came to take over from Sachin,” he added.