Like many, the Dutchmen too want to bat like Virat Kohli and emulate what he has achieved in international cricket. But opener Vikramjit Singh wants the Netherlands cricketers to have a style of their own and not just follow idols blindly.
“Everybody has got a different style, the way they play their cricket. The Indians have got their own style, while we too have got our own in what we try to do out there,” Vikramjit, who clearly said he doesn’t follow football, told select media after the Netherlands’ optional training session at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
“Obviously, we don’t have a Rohit Sharma, who can smack sixes whenever he wants to. So, we don’t want to look too much into how the Indian batters play and rather focus on our game and how we want to play. Of course, everyone wants to bat like Kohli and score 50 (ODI) centuries. But as I said, he has found his own way of scoring big runs, play his cricket.
“I can’t be a right-hander now and bat like Kohli. So yeah, everybody has to find a way to play their cricket,” the 20-year-old, who hit a 52 against Pakistan in the Netherlands’ campaign opener in Hyderabad, said.
However, the Dutch, who have shocked South Africa and beaten Bangladesh in this World Cup, do believe their performance should lead to cricket’s growth in their country.
“It’s been huge for us. Cricket is quite small in the Netherlands and having done well against some of the best countries is unbelievable.
“For the first time, it (wins over the Proteas and Bangladesh) has reached the news in the Netherlands and that was very big for us. Hopefully, it will inspire kids back home to pick up the bat and ball and start playing cricket,” Vikramjit emphasised.
For Vikramjit, India hasn’t at all been a new environment. In recent years, he has also trained in Chandigarh and Jalandhar under former Punjab first-class players Amit Uniyal and Taruwar Kohli.
Being a Mumbai Indians fan, earning an IPL contract would be “cool” for him. But developing Netherlands cricket is his and most of his teammates’ main objective.
“It would be a dream to play in the IPL, but if you ask most of the guys, they are focusing on building cricket in the Netherlands and take it to the top,” Vikramjit said.
