Published: Sep 23, 2024, 01:42 PM (IST)
Edited: Sep 23, 2024, 01:42 PM (IST)
Before the Test season begins, Virat Kohli had a great opportunity to put some runs behind him in the third innings in Chennai. Shubman Gill at number three and Rishabh Pant at number five both scored hundreds, but the man at number four, who was placed between them, failed miserably, dismissed for seventeen after inside-edging the ball and failing to challenge the LBW call.
Kohli was expected to be in for a big return match, marking his red-ball return after missing the home series against England earlier this year, but he struggled in both innings. In the first innings, he succumbed to his old demons of wafting at a ball wide outside off-stump, and in the second, he was exposed to his troubles against right-arm orthodox spin once more.
For Indian cricket fans, it was even more troubling that Kohli appeared to be missing something. The player on display wasn’t the same ferocious, tooth-biting person that supporters are accustomed to, content to dial up the intensity to extract the maximum amount of performance from him. A player who is so devoted and involved almost seems disengaged.
Has Kohli undergone any changes? The youthful player who intimidated the formidable Australian pace attack and led his side to a historic series in Australia, as well as the seasoned skipper who engaged in a feud with the English fans while leading his team to triumphs under duress, appear to have vanished. Athletes at the pinnacle of their sport typically have a competitive edge, but Kohli’s was unmatched in Indian cricket history.
That player is still there, no doubt, as seen by Kohli’s incredible 2023 ODI World Cup run, his 2024 T20 World Cup final match-winning batting display, and his incredible 2024 IPL 2024 where he raced away with the orange cap while hitting at a faster clip than ever before. But there’s no doubting that when he actively nourished the fierce competitor inside him, Kohli’s Test batting, in particular, reached new heights.
At least on the surface, a few factors might have contributed to the difference that fans perceive in Kohli. Then there is the family aspect. As a father of two children and someone who is soon to turn 36, Kohli has talked about how important his family is to him and how much of an influence they have on everyone. The Kohli of ten or even four years ago is not the same person today. How is that possible?
The simple reality of his experience is just as important. For almost fifty years, Kohli has been a top-tier professional cricket player, breaking numerous records across all formats. Any player cannot be expected to maintain the level of intensity and unwavering motivation needed to pursue those trophies and hold the top spot in the sport for as long as Kohli has.
Not that any of these things have made Kohli a worse batter—after surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record for most ODI centuries in the World Cup semifinal last year, to finally winning another ICC trophy in the T20 World Cup—but it is reasonable to speculate that the well-honed sword may have become a little duller.
And responsibility follows experience. A 25-year-old pioneer with great ambition and no baggage will undoubtedly approach their function within a team very differently than a veteran in their late 30s. In a young dressing room, Kohli is a mature figure who is just as important for his personal runs as he is for mentoring emerging stars like Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Every circumstance calls for a different outfit, and just now, Indian cricket may need Kohli to don the suit of the backroom guru rather than the field commander.
A glimpse into this can also be seen in Kohli’s interview with new coach Gautam Gambhir, who was once his teammate, for the BCCI website. “That confrontation can get you in the zone, come what may,” Gambhir said to his fellow Indian in Delhi. “Sometimes you wanted that, and sometimes I wanted that confrontation.” “You wouldn’t say you regret any of those encounters at all if asked at the end of your career. Because that’s how you can score runs and obtain those outcomes.”
Kohli concurred. Therefore, one thing can be said for sure: Kohli doesn’t regret being the person or the player he was; therefore, even though it doesn’t show on the outside, the fire and the struggle are still present in him.
Since the beginning of 2023, Kohli’s output has been consistent with the remainder of his career, indicating that he is not yet done with cricket. Currently, it appears like Kohli’s top priority is his legacy—taking Indian cricket to new heights and leaving a mark that goes beyond his run totals.
Indian supporters surely miss the old Kohli, who had courage in the face of adversity and passion in his eyes. However, the question of whether this changed Virat can fulfill his ambitions and strike a balance between legacy and performance will undoubtedly be answered in a way that pleases everyone in due course.
