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Just coming from a humiliating defeat in the Tests, India come about to the one-dayers with questions on the team, coach and strategy.
Coming from my last article, The Ro-Ko Hype,
“India’s Sydney win revealed more than a feel-good reunion of giants – it exposed how nostalgia shapes cricket storytelling. As we celebrated the ‘Ro-Ko’ spectacle, the real lesson lied beneath the headlines. It was the untold story of the bowlers who had won the match for India”
This article is in stark contrast and an ode to the one-day great. A bit of poetry here may not be totally out of context. This is not just about return to form. It is the re-emergence of the great or the greatest.
Kohli has never been about records and more about the raw, combustible intent that changed the very temperature of a cricket match. What shaped his legacy wasn’t the tally beside his name, but the ferocity with which he chased every run, the refusal to lose moments others accepted as gone, and the almost spiritual obsession with fitness that dragged Indian cricket into a new competitive age. For a generation of players, he wasn’t just a benchmark of skill—he was a blueprint for attitude, professionalism, and hunger.
Going by his Test records, one might see just a very good player. The numbers, however, do no justice to the impact he has made on the game. In ODIs, his records are still insurmountable—he has overtaken Sachin Tendulkar’s tally and set new benchmarks. As a No. 3 batsman, he ranks among the greatest of all time, only comparable to the likes of Vivian Richards.
He is already the greatest chaser (arguably) in history, and the way he set up the innings was impeccable, a reminder of his vintage self. This time he had the opportunity to set up the target and the game. He can still shape this Indian team from the top, and he has plenty of cricket left in him. If anyone can script a poetic finish to their career in the next World Cup, it is him. This innings had much more than a hundred written over it. It came at a time when India had lost the Test series badly and the previous one-day series against Australia. In effect, the team needed a resurrection.
Of course this innings was studded with 7 sixes and 11 fours and scoring 135 of 120 in impressive enough on its own. The beauty of this innings was in how he contributed to the team and played a larger-than-life role. The initial partnership with Rohit gave the time to Rohit to find his feet and get some runs after the dismissal of Abhishek Jaiswal. K. L. Rahul was struggling to get off to a good start, and yet Virat kept the pace going to ensure the run rate didn’t dip while simultaneously allowing Rahul the space to build his confidence. That is what senior players are supposed to do. Rahul’s flurry at the finish would have been a non-starter without Kohli’s contribution to him and to the team. You could see Rahul growing in confidence through the innings and will play with a lot more confidence over the series.
After getting the hundred in the 38th over, Kohli had two options: drop anchor and guide the chase to the end, or take on the mantle of the aggressor. And what a pleasure it was to see him choose the latter.
It wasn’t just about the scoring- the way he ran between the wickets, especially in converting ones into twos, stood out. Count the number of times he was ready to run but his partners did not respond. He just seemed to be enjoying the game. He began with a streaky shot off the first ball and ended with a mishit. There were no chances in between. Form is temporary, but class is permanent. The 37-year-old is the clearest testament to that.
In many ways, Ranchi was not just a knock from Kohli- it was a reminder. A reminder that greatness does not fade; it waits.. And when it arrives, it announces itself not with noise, but with clarity. This was not a man fighting the battle of relevance. This was a champion reclaiming his realm. At 37, when careers usually dim, Kohli’s flame seemed to burn with a renewed sharpness.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.