Have fame, money changed Virat Kohli? Ex-teammate triggers debate

A no-holds-barred comment from Amit Mishra, a former India leg-spinner, about Virat Kohli being a changed person over the years has gone viral on social media, more so in an ecosystem where being politically correct is the norm.

Speaking on Subhankar Mishra’s YouTube show Unplugged, the former leg-spinner from Delhi, once known to be close to Kohli, has come out with scathing remarks about the superstar, triggering off a slew of memes from Kohli loyalists. What possibly added fuel to the fire was the bowler’s take on Rohit Sharma, who Mishra felt had remained unchanged despite his exploits over the years.

"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," said Mishra, who alleged that in his avatar as India skipper, Kohli was never forthcoming with him about his exclusion from the Test squad.

"As a cricketer, I respect him a lot, but I don’t share the same equation with him as I used to," said the 41-year-old, who once courted the serious charge of molestation during his playing career. ‘’Why does Virat have few friends? His and Rohit’s natures are different," Mishra observed, despite the fact that the Big Two of Indian cricket have publicly gelled extremely well over the last few years, including retiring together after the T20 World Cup triumph last month.

The YouTube host raked up an old quote by another former India star Yuvraj Singh, where the multiple World Cup-winner said he used to be great friends with Chiku (Kohli’s nickname) but not the star Kohli. "I don’t disturb Virat as he is busy. Young Virat Kohli’s name was Chiku. Today’s Chiku is Virat Kohli, there’s a big difference,’’ Yuvraj said, leaving his statement open to interpretations.

Meanwhile, Mishra said: ‘’I’ll tell you the best thing about Rohit. When I met him the first day and when I meet him today, he is the same person. So will you relate to him more or with someone who changes according to the situation?”

Kohli got his first taste of captaincy in the Test series against Australia in 2014-15, when M.S. Dhoni suddenly retired from the Test format. In 2017, he took charge of the ODI and T20 teams as well, while after the T20 World Cup 2021, he stepped down from captaincy, one format after the other. Mishra, who played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs and 10 T20s for India, has been one of the highest wicket-takers in the history of the IPL, and is yet to officially announce his retirement.