Piyush Chawla's perspective on Virat Kohli's nature and attitude stands in stark contrast to fellow leg-spinner Amit Mishra's controversial take. In a recent interview, Mishra claimed that Kohli had changed with the power of captaincy, sparking a heated debate among fans. Mishra faced backlash for his comments, with many pointing out his own off-field controversies. He also mentioned a shift in Kohli's behavior towards him during his final days playing for India, despite reports suggesting that Kohli had actually supported Mishra to revive his career.
Mishra suggested that Kohli's behavior had changed significantly before and after becoming captain, to the point where their communication had dwindled. On the other hand, Chawla, who has a long-standing relationship with Kohli and has played alongside him at various stages of their careers, believes that Kohli has remained unchanged over the years. Recalling a touching moment from last year's Asia Cup, Chawla maintains that he has not observed any significant changes in Kohli, although he acknowledges that others may have different experiences.
"Irrespective of whatever amount of cricket I have played, how much I know him, I have always had a very good experience. He played junior cricket together, then in the IPL and for India together. Everyone has their own mindset. Even today we meet very nicely," Chawla said on the '2 Sloggers' podcast.
"In fact, when Kohli was playing in the Asia Cup, I was there was commentary. I was near the boundary just after the innings break. He came and said PC yaar, chal kuch achha sa order karein (PC, let's order something nice). We both are very fond of food. So even today we speak the same way as we did 10-15 years ago."
Chawla and Kohli were both integral parts of India's 2011 World Cup campaign. Although Chawla's India career had essentially ended by the time Kohli took over as captain, the two frequently crossed paths during the IPL. Despite Chawla managing to dismiss Kohli three times in the IPL, Kohli has still been able to score 140 runs off his bowling, including 6 sixes and 9 fours.
While Chawla had nothing but praise for Kohli, he also took a moment to acknowledge Mishra, his senior. Chawla made his India debut in 2006 at just 17 years old, three years after Mishra had already represented the country. In fact, Mishra would go on to make his Test debut two years after Chawla. Both leg-spinners honed their skills playing for their respective domestic teams – Mishra for Delhi and Chawla for UP – and the knowledge and experience gained from each other have been invaluable.
"The leg-spinner who is in question here, I have learnt a lot from him. He is a senior and the way he has played his cricket and bowled during his career, he has been fantastic. I saw the podcast. It was quite amazing," added Chawla.
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