Virat Kohli's ill-fated 4-ball 8: Former skipper needs to get his act straight before it's too late
The best batters in the world have never been as vulnerable in their status as they are now. Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Kane Williamson and Joe Root all have certain shortcomings across formats that have been amplified over time, but only one of them plays cricket in a billion-strong market that feeds on the insecurities of those it swears to protect and worship.
Since the start of 2020 - in fact, since mid 2019 - Kohli has been firmly in the spotlight like no other cricketing superstar in the world. And unfortunately for the former India captain, the myriad of controversies he has had to endure both on and off the field, combined with his diminishing batting returns, have painted a picture that doesn't have an inkling of sunshine and rainbows anywhere in the frame.
But could Kohli's issues be independent of technique? After all, even on current form, he's probably the best all-format batter in the world. And even on current form, he's one of the first names on any teamsheet. What ails the 33-year-old, who is nearing 1,000 days without an international century? Why is Virat Kohli no longer the world-beating record-breaker he once was?
Virat Kohli's issues seem more mental than technical
Even in a net session, the intensity with which Virat Kohli bats is wholly evident. Each ball is an event. Each stroke off the middle is a victory, and each rare mistimed shot or edge is a black mark on a batting record that Kohli strives to keep as close to flawless as humanly possible.
At the same time, Kohli is almost meditative when he has a bat in hand. The intensity is apparent, but it isn't the dominant emotion - a steely sense of concentration is. As once described by Harsha Bhogle, the right-hander almost seems lost in his own perfection. But lately, the line between the two interwoven emotions - intensity and zen-like focus - has become increasingly blurred when Kohli bats.
The drives outside off, which used to be a clear indication of his willingness to take the game on, have become a glaring weakness most feel he has refused to acknowledge. The pulls and hooks that once terrorized even Mitchell Johnson have become a luxury Kohli can't seem to afford, for the ball seems to unerringly find a waiting fielder in the deep.
The wristy ease with which he used to unsettle spinners has been replaced by a truly bizarre inability to generate scoring shots. The resultant overcompensation, such as his newfound desire to play sweeps and slog sweeps, has only worsened matters when it comes to the composure displayed when he bats.
Various experts and members of the cricket-watching public have pointed out that Kohli isn't as upset when he gets out, for a disappointed shake of the head has often manifested itself instead of the previously inevitable stream of profanities. That might seem like a ridiculous judgment to make because Kohli is still true to the person he is and the person he has become, even if those changes are viewed as negative to his batting progress.
But irrespective of the signs you want to interpret, Virat Kohli isn't in the ideal frame of mind. It doesn't take an expert on behavioral psychology or a keen observer of the batter over the years to come to that conclusion; it's fairly obvious that life as an international cricketer - and arguably the biggest superstar of this generation - has taken a toll on Kohli.
When Kohli bats, the filter is almost non-existent in the sense that he is as unadulterated a version of himself as he can possibly be. There are no fancy celebrations or dances; there are no excited LBW appeals or controversial stump-mic accusations; there are no nosy journalists relentlessly chucking cliched questions. Muscle memory takes over from other bodily functions and the bat vs ball battle takes centrestage as all other mental fights are put to bed.
In the first ODI against West Indies, when he played one of the most unsettled innings of his international career in his first game under Rohit Sharma, the facade of invincibility he has put on in press conferences and on the field crumbled to reveal that he is under serious pressure.
Six fifties in his last nine ODI innings appear to paint a rosy picture, but the stats don't reveal the relative unease with which Kohli has scored those runs. Kohli's four-ball eight in Ahmedabad wasn't a one-off; it was the tipping point of a series of innings across formats where he has seemed far from his best. Fortunately for him, he can be far from his best and still be one of the best in the world, but it has never been more apparent that Kohli is out to prove a point.
Why else would Kohli play an extravagant upper cut off his second ball? Why else would he be hurried by Alzarri Joseph banging the ball halfway down the pitch? Why else would the chase master, the once immovable second-innings monster, throw his wicket away after just four balls?
How does Virat Kohli become Virat Kohli again?
Time might be the biggest healer for Virat Kohli as he attempts not to tear his hair out each time the number "71" finds a way into his life. Being sacked from the ODI captaincy and reportedly being forced out of the helm in the other two formats wouldn't have been a sweet pill to swallow, even if some of it was self-inflicted.
But will the hunger to be India's biggest match-winner outlast the desire to step away from the sport which doesn't seem to love him as much anymore? You could hazard a guess and say that Kohli has already thought about retirement a few times, especially in light of recent events that haven't gone in his favor. And with the team seemingly not as dependent on him as they once were, the 33-year-old might further ride along the road with a hazy sunset on its horizon.
The modern cricketing calendar can only be described as unforgiving, and some time away from the sport and with his family - away from prying SuperSport cameras, this time - might do Kohli a world of good. A more radical solution would be to move him around in the batting order and try to free his attacking game from the shackles it's currently under. Perhaps a return to leadership with the Royal Challengers Bangalore could spur the leading Indian Premier League run-scorer into action on the international level, too.
But one thing's for certain. India and Kohli can't afford innings like the one he played in the first ODI against the Windies. The former skipper must get his act straight before a brilliant international career continues on its crash-and-burn trajectory and becomes irreversibly damaged.