Cricket Superstar Virat Kohli’s Dream Of An Elusive Indian Premier League Title Remains Alive

Even a cricket demigod is seemingly not immune to being picked apart. Royal Challengers Bangalore talisman Virat Kohli might be the sport’s biggest superstar, but his performances in the ongoing Indian Premier League – cricket’s most lucrative competition – have polarized.

The 34-year-old has remained among the leading run-scorers, but that’s clearly not enough for a batting genius who is probably the first-ever GOAT of the IPL which started in 2008 to upend this staid sport.

Despite batting at the top and aided with the advantage of the powerplay, Kohli hasn’t been able to capitalize with a strike-rate of around 130 – fairly pedestrian in these times where batters can seemingly score sixes whenever they so please.

Only struggling 36-year-old Australian opener David Warner, similarly past his peak like Kohli leading to an uncertain future, has a worse strike-rate for the top 24 run-scorers in the competition.

The determination and unwavering passion – so innately part of this firebrand cricketer – have still been there as underlined by Kohli’s occupancy of the crease. He’s seemingly not unruffled by the spotlight – unsurprising considering he lives in a fish bowl in cricket-crazy India – and he’s generally kept his emotions in check at the crease, not throwing away his wicket early.

But his fluency, where at his mesmerizing best he can pinpoint gaps in the field with surgical precision, and ability to shift gears at the right moments have jarringly been lacking.

So alarming that his critics believe Kohli is at another phase of his career, more of a grinder than tour de force. Perhaps something like LeBron James, who picks his spots and can still dominate in spurts through aura and smarts but no longer by sheer overwhelming athleticism.

It heightened the pressure on Kohli in the early Sunday fixture between slumping RCB and fellow strugglers Rajasthan Royals in a must-win clash. Amid a congested table, both teams were sitting outside the playoff picture with the regular season almost complete.

RCB, a glamour franchise long boasting star-studded players headlined by the stable presence of Kohli throughout, have infamously been underachievers and somehow are still chasing an elusive IPL title. Which, of course, means Kohli has never tasted the ultimate success much to the glee of opponents but to the frustrations of the rabid RCB fanbase.

In the twilight of his legendary career, Kohli won’t have many more chances to finally break through but until RCB is knocked out there remains hope that he can still conjure the miraculous – much like James right now for the rejuvenated Los Angeles Lakers.

After skipper Faf du Plessis elected to bat in Jaipur, Kohli once again shed the flamboyance and started cautiously. A well-planned Rajasthan had done their homework and knew Kohli’s inability to get on top of spin, so they used legspinner Adam Zampa early and it did the trick.

Kohli was choked by Zampa’s accurate slow bowling as he crawled to a run a ball with his fans once again restless while critics readied to further stick the boot in. In a rare sign of impatience, having scored just 18 from as many balls, Kohli advanced to a well executed slower delivery from seamer KM Asif but badly misjudged to hole out.

He trudged off the ground with a blank expression, but surely was wondering if his title chances had evaporated for another frustrating season.

But cavalier Australian batter Glenn Maxwell provided the type of audacious strokes that once oozed out of Kohli to propel RCB to a healthy 171 for 5 on a tricky pitch. Their pumped-up attack did the rest to rout a ham-fisted Royals for 59 – the third lowest total ever in the IPL – as RCB propelled to fifth on the ladder with two matches still left.

As he has done so many times before, Kohli had the last laugh when he completed the final wicket with a catch in the deep to dismiss Asif, his earlier tormentor. Kohli was emotionless initially before a wry smile appeared.

He couldn’t contain himself any longer, unleashing a trademark animated celebration as Kohli enthusiastically greeted his teammates knowing RCB remained in the title hunt.