Virat Kohli’s Got Pressure Like Sachin Tendulkar Had from Indian Fans: Ian Gould

Love and adulation from the cricket fraternity is something Virat Kohli is quite used to and one of the most well known umpires Ian Gould compares him to the great Sachin Tendulkar.

Gould, who retired as an international umpire in 2019 after more than a decade at the highest level, is contemplating returning to his position behind the stumps as soon as cricket resumes after the forced break due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The passionate Kohli is rarely seen enjoying a laugh during a game, but Gould is one of the few umpires who have had the pleasure of sharing a light moment with the Indian captain.

“He’s a funny man. Yeah, he batted like me a couple of times. I had to tell him off for slogging it. He’s a charmer. He’s one of those guys who’s got, a bit like Sachin Tendulkar, the whole of India on his back, but you wouldn’t know,” Gould told Cricinfo.

“You could walk into a restaurant and sit and chat with him for hours. He’s a very worldly boy. When you look at Virat, you’re thinking male model, pin-up boy, but he knows about the game inside out, the past, history. Lovely guy.”

Kohli and authority haven’t always shared the best dynamics on and off the field. However Gould is happy to have seen him evolve into the present character that he is now.

“I can see why (he’s had run ins with authority). But he’s learned to be respectful. He could have continued his career like that and people could be talking totally the opposite about Virat. He’s a nice man and the India boys are very, very good people, very respectful.”

One of Gould’s most talked about moments with regards to Indian cricket is when Tendulkar survived an lbw against Saeed Ajmal in the World Cup semi-final of 2011, which he admits he would have given out on if it happened again.