'He won't be the same player if he…': Former India cricketer bold verdict on Virat Kohli
has shared his views on
's aggressive playing style and reflected on his own career experiences during a conversation with sports commentator Padamjeet Sehrawat on his YouTube channel.
, who was part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning team alongside
, emphasized that Kohli's aggressive demeanor is essential to his success as a player.
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Sreesanth expressed his perspective on Kohli's on-field behavior, distinguishing between aggression and passion.
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"Nothing (on whether he would change anything). What others call aggression, I call it passion. Is Virat Kohli aggressive? No. I think he is obsessed. Virat's aggression, people say, is a lot. I would say if he reduces that aggression, he won't be the same player."
The careers of both cricketers took different paths following the 2011 World Cup victory.
Kohli made his Test debut in the West Indies series, while Sreesanth did not participate in that tour.
Sreesanth's final Test appearance for India came during the fourth Test against England in 2011, while Kohli's career continued to flourish.
During the interview, Sreesanth also addressed the 2008 incident involving himself and
, where the latter slapped him after an IPL game in Mohali.
The former pacer revealed how this incident affected his family, particularly his daughter's perception of Harbhajan Singh.
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"When I told my daughter, 'This is Bhajji pa, he's played with me', she straight away said, 'No, no, I won't say hi'. I couldn't understand why. In school, there may have been the odd conversation about it."
Sreesanth elaborated on his attempts to explain the situation to his daughter and his current perspective on the incident.
"There are different stories doing the rounds. Then we tried explaining, but she said she still won't talk to him.
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The next day, when the legends tournament was going on, we explained that he was like our elder brother. I don't think Bhajji pa did that deliberately. It happened in the spur of the moment. It was just a learning experience for both of us."
The incident has since become a significant talking point in
history, with Harbhajan Singh previously expressing his desire to erase that moment from his life during an episode of "Kutti Stories with Ash."
Both Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh were prominent figures in Indian cricket during their active playing days, contributing to various successes for the national team, including the 2011 World Cup victory.
The 42-year-old Sreesanth's international career came to an end shortly after the 2011 World Cup, with his last ODI being the World Cup final and his final Test match coming against England later that year.
Throughout the interview, Sreesanth maintained a reflective stance on his career and experiences, indicating that he wouldn't change anything about his journey in cricket, despite the various challenges and controversies he faced.
The conversation highlighted the complex dynamics of professional cricket, from on-field aggression to personal relationships between players, and how these aspects continue to influence their lives even after their playing careers.
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