“A complete Gangster vibe” - Ishant Sharma defines the intense on-field aura of Virat Kohli

Ishant Sharma and Virat Kohli have always been very good friends, on and off the field. Even while playing against each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL), the two players have a lot of fun, taunting each other. Meanwhile, Ishant opened up on Kohli’s on-field aura, calling him a gangster recently in an interview.

In a candid conversation with Raj Shamani on his podcast, Ishant Sharma named Virat Kohli as someone who brings a gangster like aura on the field. Ishant and Kohli have been playing together since their junior days and the former knows his former captain inside out.

In fact, it was under Virat Kohli’s captaincy that Ishant Sharma’s fast bowling prospered in Test cricket. Coming back to his gangster comment, the pacer recalled his time as a newcomer when he used to feel many senior players carried a legendary aura.

However, as time passed, Ishant realised that Kohli was the one with the best aura among all of them. 

“See, when I first started playing, I used to feel everyone had that vibe, everyone was a legend. Later on when I played, I felt that with just one person, Virat Kohli. He is one such player who gives off a complete Gangster vibe when he walks onto the pitch to play. He shows full authority, like he's saying, "I’ve arrived on the pitch,” Sharma said.

Ishant Sharma lauds Kohli’s fitness

Virat Kohli, as captain, infused the extreme fitness culture in Indian cricket and he led from the front in that aspect. He was adamant that players be fit for matches to represent India and the man himself became an example for his teammates.

Ishant Sharma lauded Kohli for the same stating that the latter understood very early in his career that he needs to stay fit to play long. “I think he understood that if he wanted to play, he had to get fit. He is aware that fitness allows him to play long, keeps reflexes fast, and improves fielding. That change came about in 2011 after the World Cup and the IPL,” Ishant added.

Stay updated with the latest cricket news, match insights, and exclusive updates at BetBarter and download the BetBarter app to start betting today!