New Delhi (Nilesh Tiwari): Only those who have been blessed to see Virat Kohli with friends and family can understand in fair detail how he treats them. He is very affectionate, fiercely protective, and all-heart.
It’s all or nothing, just like when he is out there on the cricket field. Bonds that he shares with Kohli are etchings on his soul. Although they do not see much of each other, he squeezes in as much life as he can into that one visit that he makes to this old chum, Shavez. Last month during a Ranji Trophy match held at the Arun Jaitely Stadium.
He hadn’t played since domestic cricket representation over 12 years ago; Kohli is coming back to play, albeit in a come-back form but thousands had paid to see Kohli bat- and he was running with old friend and son Kabir.
He cracked jokes with his dad and advised Kabir, so it was just a routine for that moment. And in case of forgetting, immense pressure was there to perform well in that game after series of bad results followed in Australia.
But that smile when he was talking to his old friend, the young Delhi cricket players and even the coaches and support personnel did not show even a hint of it. That’s you, Virat Kohli.
He has learned to distinguish between the goings-on on the field and his personal space. That may be understandable with everything he has achieved. Kohli, however is a master at it.
He did not feature in the first ODI against England, after failing on his highly-touted comeback into the Ranji game against Mysore following knee injury. He regain a spot again for the match in Barabati Stadium of Cuttack by coming up in number three over a robust opening stand made between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill.
Hopes of something magnificence from Kohli, in a format he has himself moulded to perfection, meant Barabati was noisier than it could be – sadly, though. A tossed up delivery to nick Kohi barely was enough for five from Adil Rashid.
