The expression on the face of Virat Kohli was worth a thousand words. The moment he hit that six that bought him that long-awaited 71st ton in international cricket, it felt like the world suddenly became all sunshine and rainbows for him. Out came that smile, and it was more like he was relieved rather than elated. A wait of 1021 days, filled with jibes, taunts, and sometimes even abuse and curses. The wait was long, hard, and arduous. But the wait finally came to an end, and it felt like a huge burden was lifted from his shoulders.
It was not like he was out of form. In the period between his 7oth and 71st ton, there were a lot of instances that he played innings that were impactful on so many levels. Like he said, ” I did not know that 60s and 70s counted as failures”. But now it is over, and we cannot wait for a new and rejuvenated Kohli to grace the field.
The confidence in the net sessions ahead of the first T20 was palpable in his demeanor. Out came those flowing cover drives like they never left. He batted for an hour, and none of the bowlers were spared from a vintage display of power-hitting by the maestro. All the little details that seemed to be missing from his game, like his footwork, and those thumping short-arm jabs, all came to the fore as he was absolutely smacking them right from the middle of his blade. And if this footage is to be believed, these are rather ominous signs for the visiting Australian side.
And Aussie skipper Aaron Finch certainly thinks that Virat Kohli is well and truly back. The Aussie recently announced his retirement from the ODI format and will be leading the defending champions on home soil to keep their crown intact. Speaking to the media ahead of the series opener in Mohali, Finch was asked about Virat Kohli’s arrival to form. And sure enough, Finch was rather eloquent in his words about the former skipper and went on to say that only a “very brave man” can write off Virat Kohli after his contribution to the game.
He further added, “It will be a very brave man to write Virat Kohli off. At any stage, he has shown for 15 years now that he is one of the greatest players of all time, especially in T20 Cricket. He is someone who has developed his game over such a long period that you always plan and prepare the best when you come up against him. 71 centuries in 15 years of international cricket. That is just ridiculous”, he further exclaimed.
With Virat Kohli back on the path to redemption (if the general public is to be believed), the stakes will never be higher as he takes on to the field in every game from now on starting tomorrow. Bring on the games thick and fast, these are interesting times ahead.