IPL 2022 | What's the significance of Kohli's 58 off 53 v Gujarat Titans?

It wasn’t the most fluent innings that you’ve seen Virat Kohli play. It didn’t feature the mind-boggling hitting his 50-ball-113 offered in 2016, the sensational knock that snubbed Punjab. 

It didn’t seem to carry the precision of that unbeaten 90 against CSK in 2020. Nor did it carry the stamp of dominance that the 100 against KKR in 2019 offered; the glorious footwork, the beautiful gap finding on either side of the wicket, or the pure dominance about that regaling knock. 

What’s more? 

This knock came at a strike rate of a touch above 100, which is nowhere close to the 135 plus or 150 rates that some of the more domineering Virat Kohli knocks have come at. 

But there was so much more about that the 58 off 53 deliveries that Virat Kohli made against the Gujarat Titans just a few hours ago. 

A significance that goes beyond the impact of statistics and deals with the realm of emotions. 

For starters, for the first time ever in the ongoing IPL 2022 did Virat Kohli, desperately looking for runs all along, manage to lift the bat and acknowledge what was the undying and evident love of the crowds. 

For the first time ever did he, both as an RCB asset and athlete, sport the look of contentment in a series where he’s clearly looked desperate and on other times, helpless. 

You could see in the way the crowd applauded the effort. You could see in the way Anushka Sharma joined her hands in sheer excitement, the infectious smile not leaving the face bereft at a moment that was akin to witnessing the King’s homecoming. 

The third delivery of the thirteenth over wasn’t just a delivery; it was the return of a man, habitual of scoring gorgeous runs, back amongst scoring some.  

Scoring vital runs after a long gap. 

Kohli, all this while, soaked the true significance of the moment, having been on the wrong side of results all along. 

30 of his 58 runs for his Royal Challengers Bangalore came thorough hits to the fence. 24 of those simply by way of boundaries. 

There was an instinct for attacking. There was, rather more importantly, also restraint in that he didn’t attempt anything outlandish or wild much like some fetishist who falls prey to a creation of his own desire.

There was method, no madness. More importantly there was intent about getting the middle of the bat to as many deliveries as he could possibly manage. 

There was Virat Kohli, finally, making runs, crossing a fifty having twice given us the indication that he was going to get there before his two previous 40s spoilt the party. 

It’s not that he didn’t look promising in the past. In the contest against the Punjab Kings, least it is forgotten, Kohli stayed on the wicket for 60 minutes in scoring an unbeaten 41 off 29 deliveries. Back then, he’d arrived into the middle not before the seventh over. 

With Faf du Plessis on song and most importantly, intent on occupying the crease for the lion’s share of duration, there were limited opportunities for Virat Kohli to go on a free hitting spree. 

He was holding onto to an end and watchfully so, attacking in bursts not like a madman on a wild shooting spree. 

But this time around, 33 days after what was IPL’s third game of 2022, Kohli came into bat at a different situation. 

The top-scorer for the team back then, Faf, was out for a duck. Someone had to do the bulk of the team’s scoring. Someone had to be the watchful protector. The guide even. 

Where true credit must belong to the former captain of the RCB is that Kohli made vital runs for his outfit whilst opening the batting. 

Someone who’d looked anything but certain was given the task of facing the music from the word go. 

But the greats don’t record blemishes under pressure; they rise to the occasion. 

That is what Kohli did on April 30, making runs on a day where Rohit Sharma, the birthday boy, is trending. 

The key for him, as also for the RCB, would be to make most of the games that are left and there aren’t too many remaining one’s afraid. 

Likewise, the key from a fan perspective would be to not jump the gun and go wild in holding placards that read: “King Kohli is back!”

What they’re ought to do is offer calmness and support to the man who’s clearly fighting it out there, one game at a time!