India’s veteran leg-spinner Amit Mishra has claimed that Virat Kohli is not the same person after fame and power whereas Rohit Sharma hasn’t changed a bit. Mishra said he shares a great bonhomie with current Indian captain Rohit Sharma but the equation is different when it comes to Virat Kohli.
In IPL 2023, Amit Mishra, playing for Lucknow Super Giants, was involved in a verbal battle with Virat Kohli. Mishra believes Rohit Sharma has kept his feet on the ground despite all the success and fame but Kohli is the not the same what he used to be.
“I don’t have the same relation with Kohli like what I had earlier,” Mishra told Shubhankar Mishra on the latter’s YouTube Podcast, . “It’s the difference of their natures. Rohit, the first time when I met him and when I meet him now, is the same. He hasn’t changed. Then, who would you relate more to? The one who hasn’t changed or the one who did according to the situation?.
“I haven’t been in the Indian team for five years but he still jokes with me when we come across. We know what kind of rapport we have maintained with each other. There was a time when we didn’t speak to each other but we talked and broke that barrier and now, we have great bonding,” he added.
When asked about the changes in Kohli over the years, Mishra said, “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. I was never one of those.”
“I have known Cheeku since he was 14, when he used to eat samosas, when he needed pizza every night. But there is a huge difference between the Cheeku I knew and Virat Kohli, the captain. Whenever he meets me, he is very respectful, but it’s obviously not the same anymore. The way I joke around with Rohit, I can’t do it with Kohli,” he added.
Mishra added that there is no change in Rohit Sharma and that’s why he has savored success.
“Rohit has not changed at all. And that’s why he is so successful. He is cheerful and mingles with everyone. He never differentiates between seniors and juniors. Even if he scolds the new boys, he also takes them along to grab a meal. That’s how an elder brother behaves,” Mishra added.
Meanwhile, after taking India to glory in T20 World Cup, both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli decided to retire from T20Is.
