King Kohli’s chance to set the record straight

In sports, many battles are won even before the contest begins. In world cricket today, few batsmen are feared as much as Virat Kohli. His body language exudes supreme confidence. As a batsman, he is class apart and, on the field, he has an imposing presence.

For any team, the Indian captain is undoubtedly the big fish. With a remarkable control over his batting, Kohli has been on a record-breaking spree in one-day internationals. Hunting down stiff targets single-handedly or powering India to huge totals consistently, Kohli has become what he is today: one of the best in the world.

“I am a big fan of him. Virat is special and I like him. He is aggressive and I like good aggression,” legendary batsman Sir Vivian Richards, who himself tore apart attacks with unmatched swag and class, had once said of Kohli.

By his own standards, Kohli had an ordinary IPL this time, with a hundred and two half-centuries. Strangely, Kohli’s World Cup record isn’t flattering. In the previous edition, he had just one hundred to his name and scored 305 runs in eight innings. In 2011, with a century and a half-century to his name, he managed 282 runs from nine innings. This is the 30-year-old’s best chance to set that record straight on the grandest of stages.

But focus will also be on Kohli the captain. In big tournaments, one can’t expect everything to go according to the script. Kohli will have to make key decisions, be aware of match situations and most importantly, shouldn’t lose the plot in tense scenarios. If India have to last the distance, it’s important Kohli is in sync with both his roles.

“The most important thing I learnt is that even if it is a must-win game, you can’t think in your room the day before what might happen or what might not happen. You have to just arrive that day and do your skill to the best of your ability. You have to accept things the way they are, that is the biggest learning,” Kohli had said about his experience as captain in IPL. India will hope the skipper will walk the talk in England.