Virat Kohli is as ruthless as Vivian Richards, believes Alvin Kallicharran

Kohli's unmatched consistency to score runs across formats has been one of the most talked-about subjects in modern-day cricket, and there are few better voices than former WI captain and batting great Alvin Kallicharran to analyse that.

Virat Kohli (Reuters)

Virat Kohli's unmatched consistency to score runs across formats has been one of the most talked-about subjects in modern-day cricket, and there are few better voices than former West Indies captain and batting great Alvin Kallicharran to analyse Kohli's dominating run, and he believes the Indian skipper is as ruthless as Vivian Richards. 

"He (Kohli) looks like a very determined chap," Kallicharran told The Times of India during his visit as chief guest at a cricket tournament in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh.

"Determination means you can make your own decisions," he added. "I don't think India would ever have a captain like that, except perhaps Kapil Dev. Kapil used to take decisions on his own and he was an exciting cricketer. He used to make some decisions nobody thought could happen in cricket. 

"Kohli now has brought a new brand of captaincy. (He is) somebody who says 'I will play with five batsmen or five bowlers' and sticks to that. Virat Kohli is not an orthodox."

Kallicharran was also asked the question that many greats like him from the Caribbean have been often asked. Is Kohli as good as Richards?

"The attitude is strong in both," he said. "I am one person who wouldn't like to compare players but Kohli's attitude is as ruthless as Viv's was. Kohli seems to have some of those qualities. He is a successful captain. As a batsman, he is a phenomenon, always hungry. His consistency is tremendous."