Virat Kohli 2.0. Is that what we are watching? There’s no reason to believe otherwise.
The fiery, tempestuous, stormy petrel of the past has been banished into cold storage. The antsy, impatient, indecisive version of the last three years is nowhere in evidence. Instead, there are signs that the most influential Indian cricketer of this century has, in the final years of his career, decided to embrace a statesmanlike approach that could yet be the greatest gain for Indian cricket.
For five years between 2014 and 2019, when he lorded the cricketing world, stacking up runs and hundreds and double-tons for fun, Kohli was a snarling, foul-mouthed, expletive-ridden virtuoso, the breathtaking beauty of his batting in sharp contrast to his street-fighter behaviour.
Then, as the law of averages caught up with him for two and a half long years from 2020, he seemed uncertain, hesitant, timid, an imitation of the once imperious willow-wielder. The century-drought spilled over from one month to one year and then a year more, triggering inevitable whispers. No one quite had the temerity to wonder aloud if he was finished, but each failure was met with knowing glances and sage nods that translated into unsaid ‘I-told-you-sos.’
It’s inevitable that the prolonged trough Kohli endured from the start of 2020 did not affect him. Contrary to popular perception, heightened by his wondrous heroics of Sunday night at the MCG against Pakistan, Kohli is as human as the next person, vulnerable and susceptible, racked by self-doubt as we all are when things don’t go our way.
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Unlike most of us, however, Kohli is a true champion, and those that belong to this ilk find a way to surmount the odds, chart a path less travelled and find their way to the Promised Land, however unreachable it might appear.
The tendency in the middle of a poor run is to play as much as possible in the oft-mistaken belief that quantity will reignite quality. Kohli went the other way even as the world around him went bananas, questioning the wisdom of taking a break when in awful form and sarcastically wondering how many runs he would score sitting at home. Guess who’s having the last laugh now?
The first signs that a month-and-a-half away from the game from early July had worked wonders came at the Asia Cup in Dubai in August-September. Kohli was understandably rusty in the first game, scratching out a nervy 35 in a tense game over Pakistan.
It wasn’t vintage Kohli, far from it, but a couple of times during that essay, the fire was evident, the spark of desire obvious for all who cared to see. By the end of the tournament, the rejuvenation of Kohli was complete.
Half-centuries against Hong Kong and Pakistan set him up nicely for a grandstand finish, and with India eliminated, Kohli got the monkey off his back with international century No. 71, a staggering 1,020 days after No. 70, against a high-class Afghanistan spin attack. The sniggers continued – ‘It was against only Afghanistan’ – but Kohli has never been about the opposition, as the sniggerers ought to have known.
Kohli’s in-your-face approach earned him many silent detractors in his pomp, detractors who are emboldened enough to voice their views now that he is no longer India cricket’s No. 1 property. They sniped on Sunday when, from his first 21 balls, he eked out 12 scratchy runs and appeared to have sold himself and the team short. By the end of the night, they were no longer in evidence, having beaten a hasty retreat once Kohli muscled the ship through choppy waters.
When R Ashwin brought up India’s victory, Kohli didn’t scream. Or leap. Or mouth off. He slumped to his knees, pumped his fists, beat them on the ground. And shed tears – of unbridled joy and no little relief, one suspects. It’s a Kohli the wide world has never seen before. Stormfront Kohli maybe is a thing of the past, but the storms from his bat haven’t abated yet.
There was a touch of poignancy to Sunday’s denouement. It was defeat at the hands of Pakistan in the same tournament last year which triggered the darkest phase of Kohli’s cricketing career. He has now sung the redemption song in the most Kohli-esque way. Suffice to say, more mellifluous music is certainly in store.
(R Kaushik is a senior cricket writer)