Shortly after Lionel Messi received his eighth Ballon d’Or in Paris on Monday evening, the audience was treated to a riveting montage that highlighted pivotal moments in his illustrious career. Interspersed with heartfelt tributes from legends like Pele and Diego Maradona, the video culminated in a poignant statement: “Messi is Infinity.”
It was as if the mathematical concept, traditionally used to describe something without any bound or end, was humanized. It was a poetic encapsulation of Messi’s profound and enduring influence on football.
Messi’s true greatness lies not in his impressive list of titles or records, but in the magical moments he creates, the barriers he breaks, and the horizons he continually pushes. The term ‘infinity’ signifies something without an end, and in Messi’s case, it’s an acknowledgment that the full scope of Messi’s greatness is immeasurable, almost infinite in their depth and scope.
And even as the morning after the award function in Paris dawns in India, in a completely different sport, two cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are in pursuit to give their own careers a new dimension of greatness.
While football and cricket may seem like chalk and cheese, the essence of sporting brilliance transcends boundaries. As India march undefeated in the ongoing 2023 ICC World Cup, the question looms: Can Kohli and Sharma do a Messi?
Can they be at the forefront of their nation's successful World Cup campaign?
Infinity in Two Forms
Let’s talk numbers first. Kohli has already scored 354 runs in the current World Cup, marking yet another stellar campaign for the ace batter. A World Cup win would be his second, after being part of the victorious 2011 squad where he was yet a fledgling, overshadowed by titans like Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh. Since then, he has evolved into a powerhouse and has also spearheaded India to various other championship finals, revealing a knack for leading from the front.
Meanwhile, Sharma, currently captaining India, has been in resplendent form with 398 runs. Unlike Kohli, Sharma wasn’t a part of the 2011 squad but made his mark in the 2013 Champions Trophy win. As the duo stacks runs and breaks records, they’re doing more than just elevating their individual statistics; they are weaving into the fabric of cricket’s rich history.
Michael Vaughan, former England cricket captain, likened Kohli’s form to Messi's role in Argentina’s FIFA World Cup victory. “Great players always arrive in World Cups; it defines their legacy. Look at the footballers, Lionel Messi had to win the World Cup for Argentina, and he did it. Virat has already won a World Cup but you feel he’s going to drive the Indian team all the way,” Vaughan said on the ‘Club Prairie Fire’ podcast.
The comparison is not far-fetched. Messi led Argentina to World Cup glory by scoring seven goals and tying for the most assists (5), but his influence on his team goes beyond statistics. His World Cup win was as much about inspiring a nation and a team to believe in themselves and seizing the big moments as it was about his individual brilliance.
Likewise, Kohli and Sharma are not just run-machines but leaders shaping the destiny of their team. Whether it’s Sharma’s opening bravado or Kohli’s calculated batting in middle-overs, both the stalwarts have shown the maturity and tactical acumen to guide India to what could be a monumental triumph.
A Tale of Redemption: Messi’s Journey
Prior to 2021, Messi’s international career had been riddled with near-misses and disappointments, punctuated by his country’s agonizingly close runs in major tournaments. Argentina lost the 2014 FIFA World Cup final to Germany, a match where Messi’s dreams were shattered by Mario Gotze’s 111th-minute strike. Despite playing exceptionally throughout the tournament, Messi could not carry Argentina over the finish line, leaving fans and critics alike pondering what could have been.
The following years did little to alleviate the heartache. The Albiceleste were runners-up in both the 2015 and 2016 Copa America tournaments, losing to Chile on penalties on both occasions. These painful defeats raised serious questions about Messi’s ability to win big for his country and led to an international hiatus for the beleaguered superstar.
However, Messi would break his trophy drought with Argentina by winning the Copa America in 2021. It wasn’t just another feather in his cap; it was a boulder lifted off his shoulders. Argentina’s win against Brazil in the final was a vindication of Messi’s quest for international glory as it also brought an end to a nation’s 28-year wait for Copa America trophy.
Argentina’s triumph in the 2021 Copa America acted as a prologue to the magnum opus that was the 2022 FIFA World Cup. At 35, it was a last chance saloon for Messi. But he remained undaunted as he captained an Argentina side that seemed to embody his own grit, tenacity, and unyielding desire for victory. Eventually, Argentina won their first World Cup title in 36 years.
With the World Cup win, Messi finally put to rest any lingering doubts about his greatness. No longer would his name be uttered with the caveat of not having won a World Cup; no longer would the four Champions League and 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona would feel somewhat incomplete. Understandably, Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or win on Monday seemed less a debate and more a coronation now.
The Clock is Ticking for Kohli and Sharma
The 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup also offers Kohli and Sharma a similar canvas to paint their masterpieces. While they have individual accolades to their names — much like Messi — the World Cup remains the holy grail that could etch their legacy in stone.
Kohli has the experience of winning, albeit as a junior member of the team. Understandably then, the ongoing World Cup could be Kohli’s Messi moment. Messi fell short in 2014, tasted heartbreak but returned, triumphant, in 2022. Kohli has faced similar setbacks — 2017 ICC Champions Trophy, 2019 World Cup semi-finals, and the 2021 World Test Championship. Like Messi, Kohli has the grit and finesse to bounce back stronger. Can he turn the clock back to 2011 and join the league of infinite legends like Messi?
For Sharma, it will be an opportunity to lead India to glory, mirroring Messi’s recent achievements with Argentina. Unlike Kohli, Sharma was conspicuously absent from the India squad that lifted the 2011 World Cup trophy. Despite his pivotal role in India’s win at the 2007 T20 World Cup, he was snubbed for the quadrennial event. For a young player hailed as the future of Indian cricket, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“2011 was a memorable one for all of us, I remember watching it from home, every single match, every single ball which was being bowled and that was being played. There were two kinds of emotions, one was obviously I was not a part of it, so I was a little disappointed. I decided I was not going to watch the World Cup, but again, the second memory I remember was that India was playing so well, the quarter-finals onwards…” Rohit had said in an earlier interview.
Today, Sharma embodies the spirit of a seasoned warrior. He is the oldest Indian captain to ever helm the team in an ICC World Cup at 36 years and 161 days old and he is making every second count. He has been the focal point of India’s journey so far in the tournament and the parallel with Messi is uncanny. Messi, too, was at the center-stage at the 2022 World Cup, and the Argentine legend too had to weather numerous disappointments before lifting the trophy that mattered the most.
It now remains to be seen whether Kohli and Sharma can draw a leaf out of Messi’s playbook and convert past disappointments into fuel for a triumph in the ongoing World Cup. That would indeed turn their glorious careers into everlasting legacies and they’ll be entering that elusive realm where sport meets immortality — where athletes become Infinite.
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