“Oh, Virat, Virat, Virat.” These words from Harsha Bhogle are reminiscent of Tony Greig’s commentary during Sachin Tendulkar’s storm in Sharjah in 1998. Tendulkar was batting like a man possessed, smashing Australian bowler Michael Kasprowicz to all parts of the ground. In the commentary box, Greig was in awe: “This is a man Bradman would ever be near to. This is high! What a six! It’s bouncing around on the roof.”
Virat Kohli’s century against South Africa at the Eden Gardens on his 35th birthday was a similar display of batting brilliance. It wasn’t a storm like Sharjah, but it didn’t need to be. The situation called for Kohli to consolidate the Indian innings after Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill had given the team a good start.
Kohli’s innings was a calculated one, and it paid off. He batted through the middle overs and anchored the Indian innings, allowing his teammates to build partnerships and score runs. Kohli’s century was a masterclass in batting under pressure, and it will be remembered for years to come.
The result of the match is a testament to Virat Kohli’s calculated batting. If you look at how Rassie van der Dussen, Klaasen, and De Kock’s storm cooled down at Eden, you will find Kohli’s innings to a different level. Kohli’s century on his birthday will be etched in his heart.
Virat, 35, rules the hearts of the entire team and the fans sitting in the stands. He doesn’t have the same patience as Sachin. Sachin used to attack with his bat. Kohli has other weapons as well. He is like Delhi ka Ldka (a boy from Delhi). He knows how to dance to Ishan Kishan’s Bhojpuri number. He also knows how to respond to the slogans from the stand – hamari bhabhi kaisi ho Sara bhabhi jaisi ho. In one of the viral videos on Instagram, Kohli could be seen dancing to the tune of the crowd who are singing “One to four, four to one, my name is Lakhan”, a popular bollywood number of Nineties. So, Virat Kohli is a child at 35.
Another thing worth noting in King Kohli is his ability to overcome pressure and bad times. Sachin has come out of tennis elbow and bad form many times, and so has Kohli. Not many days have passed when he was being criticised for the years that had passed since his last century. I remember the 2015 World Cup. How many attacks were made on his personal life. He was also blamed for the team’s loss after he gave a flying kiss to Anushka Sharma. But he came out on top. When he raised his bat after his century, like Sachin, that would be the biggest moment of relief. Virat, who was part of the team that won the 2011 World Cup and is still playing in the current tournament, could give the country a third World Cup this time in his prime form.
