Virat Kohli is Just Like You & Me

Written by Shriya Rajachandra

“India needed 321 to win”, read the scoreboard. However, this wasn’t the team’s goal. The real task in hand? Chase 321 in less than 40 overs, and give yourself a lifeline in 2012’s tri-series tournament.

Sehwag and Sachin came out guns blazing, with 50 runs on the board in 30 balls. But when the target looked less scary, Sri Lanka pulled the hand brake on both the openers.

At Hobart, In the blink of an eye, the bitter emotion of worry engulfed Indian fans. Now, with 10 overs in, and 2 wickets down – 235 had to be chased in less than 180 balls. The words ‘Oh it’s done’ crept into my mind – so I braced myself for heartbreak.

The new batsman made his way to the pitch. He jogged a little, shadow-practised the cover drive, and walked over to his teammate for a fist pump. He looked around at the happy Sri Lanka team and marked his crease. With his bat resting on his shoulder, he nodded to the non-striker.

He took his stance and waited for Malinga’s lethal delivery. Malinga missed his yorker length, but Sri Lanka’s intention was clear – they were not going to make this young chubby lad’s life easy. Two balls later, Malinga brought back the yorker – he missed it again. But this time, he was punished.

With a low backlift and impeccable timing, the youngster flicked the ball through midwicket. One ball, one beautiful stroke – the momentum had shifted. Yakeen overpowered doubt, and soon enough, no one could stop the phenom named Virat Kohli. He toyed with Sri Lanka’s bowling attack as each crisp stroke sang songs of courage and hope.

For once, the brilliance of Malinga was left powerless. Malinga smiled, and everyone smiled – no one could ignore this. That day, the game was gone – but Number 18 pulled it back.

We know what happened after, he grew in stride only to be beaten down by failure. He rose from the ashes only to be crowned the King.

Now his presence is met with loud applause. The world stops for him, and no conversation is complete without a mention of his name. Sachin Tendulkar had this effect, and so did Dhoni. But with Kohli, it feels different. Was it because of a personal bias? Or was it because of how he changed Indian cricket for the better?

The answer presented itself when I watched him at Dharamshala on 22nd October. He stood at point and looked around the magnificent stadium. The DJ played a Punjabi Song, and seconds later, the man broke into a small dance.

Ravindra Jadeja, who stood at the cover, shook his and laughed. The stadium erupted, but Kohli just danced and laughed in a bubble of his own. That is where my answer was. Kohli was just like me and you – he was human.

In any conversation, the typical line is, “Kohli alag (different) hain.” But in reality, at every opportunity, Kohli broke the narrative of being alag. He was unapologetically himself while embracing vulnerability as he shed a tear or two and even displayed moments of anger.

He staunchly defended his friends and celebrated their successes. He penned affectionate messages for his wife and family, and he offered a gentle reminder to the world that it’s perfectly acceptable to take a break when mental fatigue creeps in. He is human, but as Andrew Fidel Fernando writes, “he’s all-too-human hero of a different sort.”

In 2009, dressed in crimson red, Virat lifted Dale Styen on his shoulders while making space in my mind. But in 2012, Virat had a place in my heart. The runs will soon dry up, and this might as well be his last hurrah – who knows?

Tomorrow, a year or two later, when he walks back to the Pavillion one last time, billions will cry. We will look at all the wins over the years and speak at length about an absolute champion. We will sip on a cup of chai, and attempt to reenact his flicks, cover, and straight drives while laughing about his inswinging “menace”.

But if there is one part of Kohli’s brilliance that I’d want to relive, it would be a quick two with the ball barely making it outside the 30-yard circle, smiling at the helpless fielder and giving me a deep sense of yakeen wrapped with a reminder of how human he is.

(Photo credits: rediff.com)