Champions Trophy: The night Kohli turned into a working class hero

The morning after the big game in Dubai, life was back on the fast lane. The only hangover that lingers among the cricket fans – cutting across all hues – is the sense of awe and wonder about a certain Virat Kohli.

When Mohammed Rizwan, captain of arch rivals Pakistan, gushed about the master batter’s work ethic behind the 51^st ODI century on Sunday – it’s only symptomatic about the kind of respect that he commands in world cricket today. ‘’Look at the way he batted against us, and you say he is not in form,’’ a candid Rizwan said after his team was all but knocked out of the ICC Champions Trophy, the first major tournament being hosted in their country after nearly 30 years.

‘’The hard work he puts in behind his game shows all the time…the way he was running for the singles,’’ he said. The unbeaten 100  at the Dubai International Stadium, his first ODI century since the last one in the 2023 World Cup, may not have been as spectacular as many of his previous ones in a storied career – but it was just what the doctor ordered for him to break the prolonged drought of big scores.

The man who is now the third highest scorer of international runs across all formats after Sachin Tendulkar and Ricky Ponting with 27,503 runs, had been often getting the starts – till the downfall came in a moment of indiscretion. It could be an attempt at an expansive drive outside the off stump at a seamer one day – or reaching out to hit a spinner and ending up with a soft dismissal.

Just how much it had been bugging him was apparent in his surprise move on Saturday, when Kohli landed up alone at the ICC Academy grounds about two hours ahead of his teammates to sweat it out against their throwdown specialist and some local bowlers. He was later seen nursing his left knee with an ice pack, which actually raised a minor alarm among the assembled media.

Last evening, there were no traces of any discomfort though as Kohli figured in an enterprising partnership with Shreyas Iyer to keep India’s impeccable record in tact against Pakistan – as he is now their highest run getter in ICC tournaments against Pakistan with 433 runs. The slow nature of the wicket, alongwith an accurate leg spinner Abrar Ahmed in operation, saw Kohli sacrificing his egos as he relied on hard-run singles and twos to keep the scoreboard moving.

The fact that he hit only seven boundaries and no sixes tells it’s own story – the innings being a testimony to his fitness and hunger for success at 36 years. Putting things in perspective, Kohli told the broadcasters after the match: ‘’To be honest, it feels good to be able to bat in that manner in an important game to seal qualification. My job was to control the middle overs against the spinners without taking too many risks, towards the end Shreyas accelerated and I got a few boundaries as well. It allowed me to play my usual ODI game.”

Now, Kohli may have made it sound like a good day in the office, but it was an extraordinary effort given the conditions. There is a perception that big stage performers get even more pumped up to excel on the bigger occasions – and it was the same in his case.

Iyer, who has looked extremely consistent after his return to the ODI side, was effusive about his former captain and senior teammate. ‘’It’s just the mindset that he possesses over the years. He’s always hungry for runs and I remember yesterday, he had come almost an hour before us for the practice session. He played few balls and he was looking as crisp as he looks all the time. I never feel that he’s struggling for runs, to be honest.’’

Captain Rohit Sharma broke down Kohli’s effort in these words: “Virat loves representing the country and wants to be out there playing for the team, doing what he does best. Over the years, we’ve seen this and those in the dressing room aren’t surprised by his performance. It was good for him to finish the game, with a couple of crucial contributions from others.”

There is now a six-day gap before India’s final league game here against the Kiwis on 2 March, while they have already planted a foot on the semis door. The well grafted century in Dubai may not be enough to shut up Kohli’s critics for long, but let’s not question him on commitment!

Kohli's Player of the Match vs Pakistan

78 not out in Colombo: 2012 T20 World Cup

107 in Adelaide: 2015 ODI World Cup

55 not out in Kolkata: 2016 T20 World Cup

82 not out in Melbourne: 2022 T20 World Cup

100 not out in Dubai: ICC Champions Trophy 2025