The good Virat

Rohit Mahajan  

London, June 24

Two days ago, Kohli was penalised for aggressive appealing, for advancing “towards Aleem Dar in an aggressive manner when appealing an lbw decision”. He’s batted aggressively, too. But off the field, he’s been a softie.

Kohli is at the top of his game — off the field too. He’s a charmer who’s leaving little kids swooning with happiness with kindness and politeness. Fans and mediapersons from across the world are glad when he looks in their eyes and smiles and makes a friendly remark. He’s killing with love. Everyone wants to meet him, for they can’t get what they really want — they actually want to be him. But everyone can’t be Kohli — he’s one in 1.3 billion.

Love conquers all

At Southampton recently, Kohli made an effortless conquest of Dominic Norton. An ex-cricketer, Norton exclusively interviewed Kohli. Norton was unable to hide the awe he was struck with after meeting the Indian captain. “I was terrified,” said Norton. But Kohli exuded love and grace. They met at an event to promote cricket among children. Kohli was not originally part of the day’s plan, said Norton. But the sight of happy kids brought Kohli down to the ground, to join them for a bit of play and laughter. Kohli spoke kind words to the children when they came to him for autographs and selfies, and complimented each player individually for his or her skills.

Before that, he’d won hearts of cricket’s lovers by asking the Indian fans to applaud rather than abuse and boo former Australian captain Steve Smith, who’s back in the game after serving a ban for his role in last year’s ball-tampering scandal. Kohli said that row is over — Smith has paid a heavy price, just forget it now and let him get on with his cricket.

Effortless love?

Kohli is winning England without effort — or perhaps with a little bit of effort? Norton thought that in Kohli, he had met someone akin to god. It helps that Norton is a cricketer, a quick bowler whose career was ruined by a freak injury to his right wrist. Four years ago, in the previous World Cup in Australia, Kohli was younger and brasher. He was less of a charmer. One incident stood out. It happened at Perth. The team had been ordered to not communicate at all with the media — no hello, no greeting, nothing. But Kohli went ahead and loudly shattered the team’s code of silence: He spoke to the media… He shouted, actually. A certain reporter of an English newspaper was his target, and invective was Kohli’s method. In full public view and hearing, Kohli hurled the choicest abuse at him. The reporter didn’t know what hit him. Later Kohli realised that he had made a bad mistake — he realised he had rained abuse at the wrong man. The intended receiver of his abuse was not present there. Kohli was confused by a passing resemblance between two journalists.

Kohli had been aggrieved by a report regarding the wives and ‘girlfriend’ of Indian players being allowed to travel with the Indian team the previous summer in England. The report’s focus was on the one ‘girlfriend’, Anushka Sharma, being part of the “jumbo Indian contingent”. Kohli thought it was wrong of a sports journalist to write in the “manner of a gossip writer”, as he later said. More emotional and younger then, he snapped. He was reprimanded by the Indian cricket board, told to “maintain the dignity of the Indian team at all times, and avoid any such behaviour in the future”.

Changed man

It’s possible that this warning put Kohli on the road to good behaviour for the rest of his life. Then again, it’s more likely that he just grew older and wiser and calmer, and decided that it’s sensible to fight only those battles that are big enough to deserve his attention.

Saini joins as net bowler, no news on BhuvNESHWAR 

Another man has come and joined the Indian squad at the World Cup --- the Karnal-born Delhi pace bowler today joined the Indian team as a nets bowler. The injury to Bhuvneshwar Kumar has added to the injury issues of the Indian team. Bhuvneshwar suffered a hamstring injury in the match against Pakistan on June 16, and it was expected that he’d miss three matches, all in the group stage. — RM