Kolkata:Cricketing greats like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, AB De Villiers, and Alastair Cook all have had lean patches in their otherwise illustrious careers. And they all made comebacks befitting their respective reputations and statures.
It's no wonder if modern-day great Virat Kohli does the same when India take on Pakistan in a Group A fixture of the ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium today. Knives are out speculating about Kohli's departure from the game and the former players allaying fears, it's time for brand Virat to live up to the expectations.
There are pros and cons for King Kohli as India approach the high-octane clash. What favours Virat are the conditions and juncture. Considered arguably the best in the 50-over format with 50 international tons under his belt, he has nothing to prove. What actually matters to India and the cricket buffs is Kohli's fate in the top flight of the game.
As most great players choose challenges to rise to the occasion, Kohli has been no exception since he created his aura and has become a talisman in the realm of cricket. The former India captain has been labelled as the master chaser in the ODI format. Having said that it is also true that he has struggled of late in the middle overs when spinners are in action.
Dogged by some ordinary scores, Kohli has earned the wrath from the cricket aficionados and cricketers of repute as well. Kohli's recent records reveal his vulnerability against spinners, especially leggies, and to length deliveries a tad outside the off-stump. Daggers are out for him at a time when he is going through a bad patch that every great has been through in past.
But today's Team India don't depend on one single batter or bowler to win matches. There are a bunch of youngsters who chip in to play stellar roles to eventually see the team go over the line. For example, in India's lung-opener in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh, India were comfortably home despite seniors Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being back in the hut quite early. Shubman Gill hit a brilliant ton to pour cold water on Bangladesh's premature celebration.
Going into the Pakistan match, India's top order is among runs. Someone like Gill has two centuries and an equal number of fifties to his credit in the last five ODIs he has turned out in a blue shirt. Captain Rohit Sharma is also back among runs with his match-winning hundred at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium against England earlier this month. He announced his arrival in Dubai with a well-made 41 against Bangladesh the other day. Another batting mainstay KL Rahul also looks in good nick with the bat over and above his additional charge of keeping wickets that helps the team play one more batter/bowler to get the balance right.
India will have more positives than negatives irrespective of whether Kohli gets back among runs or not. But for Kohli, Pakistan tie will be an acid test as this will be his last attempt to rise to the occasion and do justice to his brand like his predecessors. His last century came in November 2023 against New Zealand at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. Since then, he has scored only 2 fifties which actually doesn't really say about the talisman he is.
Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Varun Chakaravarthy.
Non-travellingsubstitutes: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Mohammed Siraj and Shivam Dube.
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