Different opinions of teammates about Kohli

Piyush Chawla's take on Virat Kohli’s character and attitude stands in sharp contrast to Amit Mishra’s recent controversial remarks. Mishra, in an explosive interview last month, suggested that Kohli’s behaviour changed after he became India’s captain, a statement that sparked a massive backlash among Kohli’s fans. Mishra was heavily criticised, with people even bringing up his off-field controversies. He had also implied that Kohli’s behaviour toward him soured during the latter part of his career, despite reports suggesting that Kohli had actually supported Mishra and tried to help him revive his India career.

Mishra claimed that Kohli became distant and their relationship deteriorated after he assumed captaincy, to the point where they barely communicated. However, Chawla’s perspective is entirely different. Having known Kohli for nearly two decades and having played alongside him at various stages, Chawla believes that Kohli remains the same as he was 15 years ago. He shared a heartwarming story from last year’s Asia Cup to illustrate that, in his experience, Kohli hasn’t changed at all, though he acknowledged that others might have different experiences.

"From the cricket I’ve played with him and how well I know him, I’ve always had a positive experience. We played junior cricket together, then the IPL, and also for India. Everyone has their own opinions, but we still have the same rapport," Chawla said on the '2 Sloggers' podcast.

"In fact, during the Asia Cup when Kohli was playing, I was there for commentary. I was near the boundary after the innings break, and he came up and said, 'PC yaar, chal kuch achha sa order karein' (PC, let’s order something nice). We’re both food lovers, so we still talk the same way we did 10-15 years ago."

Chawla and Kohli were part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning squad. Although Chawla’s international career was nearly over by the time Kohli took over as captain, they frequently crossed paths in the IPL. Chawla has dismissed Kohli three times in the IPL, but Kohli has also scored 140 runs off Chawla’s bowling, hitting 6 sixes and 9 fours.

While Chawla praised Kohli, he also had kind words for Mishra, his senior in the game. Chawla made his India debut in 2006 at 17, three years after Mishra first played for the national side—though Mishra made his Test debut two years after Chawla. The two leg-spinners have represented their respective states in domestic cricket—Mishra for Delhi and Chawla for Uttar Pradesh—and Chawla expressed his respect for Mishra’s contributions.

"The leg-spinner in question here, I’ve learned a lot from him. He’s a senior, and the way he’s played and bowled in his career has been fantastic. I watched his podcast, and it was quite impressive," Chawla added.