Virat Kohli - Why some self preservation may not really hurt!

Virat Kohli - well and truly speaking - has done a lot of great things in his career. He’s hit hundreds in Australia, anchored his team to fine results in the Protea territory, smashed Sri Lankans out of the park, hit double tons in Tests, played many a memorable knock in the T20 World Cup editions, led his country to massive wins - both- in the Caribbean as also at home in India. 

And in the process of doing so, he has blazed a trail for many to follow. 

If you were to ask a Shubman Gill, among the faces of Indian cricket’s future, about the batter he truly looks up to, then the answer, unfailingly, would be Virat Kohli. 

Virat Kohli, truth be known, isn’t just a cricketer; he’s the modus operandi of how a sportsperson must be: daring, agile, fit and raring to go. 

The Delhi-born batter has, quite simply, raised the bar for excellence in batting. 

And quite frankly, never before in the past decade of Indian cricket did anyone ever use the expression ‘chase master’ for anyone other than Virat Kohli himself. 

There was a time, not too long ago, when the sight of Kohli amid a run chase was what cricketing dreams were made of - the thing that kept you entertained and kept you on tenterhooks. 

But all of that said, it won’t be incorrect to state that the biggest contribution of Virat Kohli is that he offered much hope to a cricket-obsessed country in the aftermath of the retirement of that very idol his country was besotted with: Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. 

Kohli ensured that one could, even in the post-Tendulkar era, believe in magic and believe that India could do wonders. 

He, in fact, led the show from the front as captain. He added to the magic. The allure. 

Among the famous imageries that stood out in the 2019 World Cup was that of an old, perhaps wheelchair bound lady who had come to bless and greet the then Indian captain. 

Little surprise then that the usually aggressive and in-your-face batter walked right at her and bent down to embrace her feet. 

The greats, it is said, don’t only soar with ambition but also take a moment to pause and bow down, exhibiting simplicity. 

Perhaps that time has finally arrived where Kohli must actually pause if only momentarily, to take cognisance of just where he’s at. 

And where he is at, it’s not hard to see, isn’t the finest space to be in. 

It’s not a great or happy zone. 

The three golden ducks in the ongoing IPL, a tournament that has reached its business end, are just one example of that. 

Kohli’s woes are further exacerbated by the fact that, thus far, he’s managed only 216 runs from twelve outings with the bat. 

That he’s under pressure is evident, much like the output of sweat on a humid day that suggests you need a shower or simply a breather to catch your breath. 

Moreover, even if in the upcoming contest against Punjab, Kohli goes on to smoke a belter of a fifty, it would do little to mark the inconsistency he’s shown so far and the fact that he finds himself a tad bit challenged. 

Perhaps he’s tired. Or perhaps he isn’t; he’s simply driven himself to a state of exhaustion where the body demands rest, but the ever-keen mind is willing to go on. 

We don’t know anything for certain. All of the above is conjecture. 

What isn’t, however, is the idea that pausing from the game for a moment will not do anything drastically disturbing or terrible to a batsman who’s hard to ignore. 

One, who’s quite frankly in a league of his own. 

What we cunning number crunchers, habitually tweeting, self-style social media obsessed cricket experts see how well the others are doing whereas Kohli isn’t. 

But what we ought to see is that Kohli is, beyond the myth and magic of his exuberant and stunning numbers, a human. 

He’s fragile, much like all of us. 

We’ve been quick to ridicule him and, if not, then subject him to comparisons and accusations that the ‘best is over!’

And that is where Kohli himself must address the elephant in the room: that his form is deceiving him. 

And that in order to regain that, he must revisit the drawing board, perhaps even play Ranji or go back to hit the nets. 

If, for anything, a little break away will only stoke the fire or rejuvenate the brilliance within Kohli- one we are all so keen to see. 

Never a better time to head for a short break than now. 

The biggest motivation for that is the widely-anticipated T20 World Cup. It’s a little over a quarter of a year away.   

The only question, however, is until when does Kohli desire to stretch himself for far too long?