'If Kohli likes it, he'll say so. If he doesn't, he won't': Karthik on whether India captain will endorse 'The Hundred'

More than being the captain of the Indian cricket and one of the top batsmen in the world, Virat Kohli is a brand and an influencer. Whatever he does or says is followed by his millions of fans around the glove. When he spoke about mental health issues, the world listened. When he puts out a tweet from his social media handle, his followers and so many others pay attention. Heck, he is the highest paid Indian on Instagram this year, bagging $680,000 (over ₹5 crore) for every promotional post on the photo-sharing social media platform.

Perhaps that is the reason why Kohli's take on cricket's newest innovation, the Hundred, is something people are desperately waiting to hear. The Inaugural edition of the Hundred, a 100-ball tournament, is set to commence from July 21 and with Kohli being in England for the five-Test series, it will be interesting to see if he follows it. The India captain's endorsement could go a long way in determining its future.

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Kohli's teammate Dinesh Karthik feels the India captain will speak his mind, irrespective of what his take is on it. "That's his opinion and it's very fair. Each is entitled to their own and you have to respect it. Maybe if he [Kohli] watches it... he's a straightforward guy and if he likes it, he'll say, and if he doesn't, he'll say he doesn't," Karthik told The Guardian in an interview.

Stressing on Kohli's dedication towards Test cricket, Karthik feels the India captain's take on the Hundred will remain a mystery, until he does in fact talk about it, and while Kohli is sucker for the traditional format of the game, it's a case of never say never with him.

"He loves Test cricket and he's one of the reasons it's where it is today; I think it's in a stronger place than five years ago. It's good to see people like him speak up for it and if he watches the Hundred and he likes it, he'll say so," Karthik added.