Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli featured on the cover of GQ India magazine. Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli featured on the cover of GQ India magazine.

India skipper Virat Kohli appeared on the cover of August issue of fashion magazine GQ India. The flamboyant cricketer, who has grown to become one of the style icons for youths, spoke to the magazine in an interview where he talked about how his physical appearances made others doubt in his abilities at the start of his career. The 29-year old said he was considered a ‘flash in the pan’ in the beginning. “(When I started out), I was judged a lot. I would get constant feedback about my appearance. The perception was that a person like me would only be a flash in the pan,” the right-hand batsman said.

The skipper further added the game gives back to the players who remain committed towards it. “But the truth is if you work hard, the game will give back. The game doesn’t look at tattoos, it looks at commitment,” he said.

Kohli further added that the youngsters now feel more confident to present themselves the way they want to. “If you have tattoos, earrings or styled hair, you’re not stopped (at the junior levels) just because you’re flamboyant. It’s not like, if I style my hair or have tattoos, I won’t dive on the field because it’ll get spoiled,” he said.

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Kohli went on to talk about how he used to “go mad” after every time he would lose a match. “For me, winning is like an obsession. I’ve started to accept losses only now, but earlier, I would just go mad (when I lost),” he said. But the captain added that now he has started to understand his responsibilities on the field. “I realise now this is not just about me working hard and doing something on the field, but also about seeing the larger picture. That I have this opportunity to do something special for my country,” the 29-year old said.

India are currently in the middle of a five-match Test series against England, with the first Test being played at Edgbaston. The first day of the first Test saw India restricting England to 285/9 at Stumps, with spinner Ravichandran Ashwin picking up four wickets.

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