Sanjay Bangar Compares Virat Kohli To Amitabh Bachchan’s Iconic Angry Young Man Era

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has drawn a striking parallel between Virat Kohli’s fiery personality and Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic “angry young man” roles from the 1970s and 80s.

Bangar believes that Kohli’s aggression, both as a batter and a leader, was exactly what Indian cricket needed at a transitional phase. Under his captaincy, India adopted a bold and uncompromising brand of cricket, with Kohli himself embodying that intensity.

“Virat Kohli has a natural character, like brash, in your face, and that was his natural character. A natural character always feels right. Why did Amitabh Bachchan's films work in the 1975-1980 era? It was because there was this thought of an angry young man, and in the Indian society, anger was somewhere simmering,” Bangar said on DD Sports.

“Indian cricket needed some aggression because our fabulous four had retired, and Kohli had to take cricket forward, which he did in his own style. He changed India's image completely in how they approach Test cricket.”

Kohli, who retired from T20Is after the T20 World Cup title in 2024, finished his Test career earlier this year ahead of the England series. The Delhi batter’s Test numbers remain formidable - 9230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85 - though his returns dipped after 2020, averaging 30.73 across his final 39 Tests.

Having stepped away from two formats, Kohli has now set his sights firmly on the 2027 ODI World Cup. His immediate challenge will be the upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia in October, with the possibility of a tune-up appearance in the India A series before the main tour.