Brian Lara Hails Kohli, Says Kolkata is the New Home of Cricket

"Lord's is no longer cricket's home. It is located here in Kolkata.

As Brian Lara concluded his speech at The Bhawanipur Education Society College presents Tiger Pataudi Memorial Lecture, a joint initiative by The Bengal Club & The Telegraph, in association with The Oberoi Grand and powered by Kutchina, the packed house on Thursday night couldn't stop applauding. Brian Lara's speech was a typically elegant off-the-field cover drive.

In addition to expressing his love for India and the city, where he has only played three ODI innings, Lara's 40-minute speech was peppered with humorous personal anecdotes. Lara also spoke highly of Virat Kohli.

Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Kapil Dev, and of course the legendary Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi.

However, this was not the first time the batting legend had showered Kohli with compliments. Lara emphasized on Thursday how well-prepared Kohli is and how he has transformed cricket.

"Watching this (ODI) World Cup was enjoyable. To begin with, for Virat Kohli... I'm aware that many people will—or have already—stated that Kohli's performance is irrelevant because India was not the World Cup winners.

Winning is the main goal of team sports, so as an individual player, you must prioritize that as well. However, individual success is a byproduct of team success, and that is

what India has received from Kohli in every World Cup game, Lara, a former captain of the West Indies, emphasized.

Now, the man is capable of much more, so I was not impressed by that. The thing about Kohli that most strikes me, though, is his actual legacy. Because of him, cricket and the way you prepare for it have changed. He consistently demonstrates his remarkable discipline.

Lara would want his son Zende to have Kohli's level of dedication and commitment. "I'll be using Kohli's commitment and dedication to not just add to his strength, but whatever it takes to become a No. 1 sportsman if my son has to play any sport," Lara said. She also had a son.

In Sachin's wake

Kohli's goal was to emulate the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, according to Lara. "As the megastar that he is and the legacy that I believe he can leave, I saw that there was a left-hander on the screen facing the English bowling when I woke up one day,” Lara said, making reference to Kohli.

However, just like in India, there are a hundred or so channels, and he saw a right-hander skillfully assembling an innings. After glancing at the mirror, Kohli declared, "Left-hand batting isn't for me." Look at that man there on the screen. That is the direction I want to go. Who is that man? Sachin Tendulkar, Ramesh

WI's devotion to India

The Caribbean community, in addition to Indians, expressed disappointment over India's November 19 loss to Australia in the 50-over World Cup final. Such is their love for India, Lara says.

"I am aware that everyone is as sad and disappointed as I am about the outcome from a team that was the favorite. Thus, allow me to share with you... This Indian

team makes me think of West Indies teams from the 1970s and 1980s.

"They received love in every nation they visited. Yes, the cricket fans loved their country, but they also had a deep affection for the West Indies. It is currently held by India, according to Lara.

Naturally, since I'm from Trinidad and Tobago, Indians make up the bulk of the population. Of course, they had created the labor scheme a long time ago. We currently make up between 40 and 45 percent of the population of India, and we are naturally a melting pot of Chinese, Africans, Syrians, and other ethnicities. There was only one team for us to cheer for, since the West Indies were eliminated from the World Cup.

"And as I previously stated, we did not anticipate the outcome—India's defeat. However, things are meant to remain this way. You have to take the good with the bad, and India has a lot to be proud of from their World Cup performance.

Honoring Tiger

Despite playing with only one eye, Lara acknowledges that he does not know a lot about Pataudi, whose cricket career ended in 1975, but he does recognize and appreciate the former captain's contribution to Indian cricket.

I can't even begin to imagine what this man could have accomplished if he had been endowed with all the faculties. He lost one eye and played with the other. He averages just over 35 for his country while participating in 46 Test matches.

"He was able to carve out a career that was ready to put India on the map and definitely shaped the landscape of Indian cricket," Lara said, adding that "whatever they possessed at that time."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.