Every now and then, a batter produces an innings that feels larger than the runs attached to it. Virat Kohli’s Sunday scorebook at the Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Gujarat Titans IPL final will record an usual 75 off 42 balls. History will jot down something else.
King Kohli has had some aggressive innings and some restrained. He has played innings in which he seems to be carrying the burden of a franchise, a tournament, or an entire cricket-loving nation on his shoulders. And then there are those rare evenings when he walks out to bat looking as though the outcome has already been decided somewhere inside his head. On Sunday’s final, Kohli’s demeanour suggested he had reached the ground with a personal understanding of how the night would unfold. He was confident — as many great players are — but as he stepped out to bat at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad, he looked entirely certain.
So, when Titans skipper Shubman Gill took what appeared to be a fine catch, Kohli, with 63 runs on the board, reviewed the decision with the air of a man correcting an administrative error. The replay eventually showed what he seemed to know already — that the ball had brushed the ground and he was not out. Kohli laughed, shrugged and continued the chase at the crease.A King Kohli masterclass
