Truthful Tuesday | It’s now-or-never for T20I skipper Virat Kohli
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Okay, for the Indian team fans, this should not come as a surprise, because Virat Kohli is not the best of skippers around in the Indian outfit. Except for the victories in Test series victory against Australia, Kohli’s CV as a skipper lacks anything for being the shoulder of 1.3 billion people.
In the same team, just a few places away from the current Indian skipper, there is the Mumbaikar who has excelled as a skipper. Not only excelled, but he has also been one of the best captains in the Indian Premier League, one of World’s most competitive T20 leagues. Kohli’s RCB has been a contender for most seasons, just like the Indian team in the international stage but have they won anything? The answer, you would already know!
Such is Kohli’s captaincy when it comes to the big stage, having made two appearances as the captain of the Indian team. Let’s break it down even further, India have won two three World Cups and two Champions Trophy. While all of it has been in the ODI format, the parallel line can be drawn to T20Is. In 2002, Sourav Ganguly’s side was not as heavily dependent on him leading the scoring chart as 2020 Virat Kohli’s team. Growing concerns over his form with the bat have marred his decision making on the field. And, that has been seen, despite India completing a sweep in the last four-straight series.
In India’s T20I batting line-up, the top three are the crucial pieces of the battle, with Kohli being the ‘King,’ himself. However, just like in Chess, when the king squanders, the entire board crumbles and the end-game is just waiting to be called. Let us get into the roots of it, Kohli is not necessarily the best T20I batsmen in the team but the reliance has been now more than ever.
Thus far, the 31-year-old has played 82 matches being the side-piece in the team, scoring 2794 runs at an average of 50.80. When he has been the centre-piece, the table has shaken hard, with only 1137 runs and a lower average of 43.73. Post captaincy, either the decision-making as a captain or the run-machine has taken a hit.
Let us go back to February 24, 2019 - Australia are in India for a two-match T20I series and the game is well set up in Vishakapatnam. India batted first on the night and put up a total of 126 after their innings, with Kohli only scoring 24, which incidentally was also India’s first T20I in the calendar year. Australia opened with Marcus Stoinis and D’Arcy Short. For India, Bumrah opened the bowling and bowled three straight overs in the powerplay.
And by the time, the death overs came in, he was reeling for overs from Umesh Yadav, who is not the best of death over bowler. Eventually, Bumrah in his one over tried his best to bail India out from a loss. However, owing to just one over, he could not influence a win for India. For a player whose calibre is on Sachin Tendulkar’s level if not more, his captaincy is also incidentally on the same level - being lacklustre. While India did change the captain then, it would make a strong case for them to get a new one if Kohli does not win the T20 World Cup in Australia for it will be the last opportunity for him as a captain of one of India’s ‘greatest-ever’ assembled team. Largely, the problem for captain Kohli has been with the bowlers in the IPL. However, with India, he does not face the issue, with three of India’s premier T20 bowlers in Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Yuzvendra Chahal. At RCB, yes he has had bowlers in the past, who have been more or less bang-average when it comes to bowling at the not-so-friendly pitches at the Chinnaswamy.
In India, he does not have to deal with any of those - having the best of bowlers at his disposal. Despite that, he has not delivered the goods in two back-to-back ICC tournaments. Even worse, on April 15, 2019 - Kohli’s worst game as a captain arrived - this time tactical frailty which resulted in a loss for the Bengaluru franchise.
To make things worse, in the game, Kohli initially failed as a batsman, scoring only eight runs off nine balls before his captaincy ruined RCB’s rare win against Mumbai Indians. Chasing 172, Mumbai got to a racing start, scoring 70 in just seven overs. Immediately after, they lost four quick wickets, thanks to Moeen Ali and Chahal. Three mainstream pacers to bowl with, Kohli threw the ball to Pawan Negi against Hardik Pandya.
Even the uninitiated will be aware that Pandya’s strength is attacking the spinners, as seen in India’s nets, as seen in the 2017 encounter against Pakistan, as seen ever since Pandya’s debut. Yet, he decided that he would go with the spinner and that, right there sealed the game for Mumbai. If you think that was the only mistake that he committed in 2017, think again!
Another game, this time against Kings XI Punjab, Punjab were reduced to two wickets after they just put 18 runs on board. At home, reducing the opponents to 18/2, a side must take advantage, right? Umm! No, that is where RCB and Kohli excel, leaving the opponents to take the game away from their reach. Shaun Marsh and Manan Vohra put up a good stand, with contributions from the lower order, as they scored 138/7 at the end of the innings. Okay, now, Chinnaswamy Stadium is a ground where there are raining sixes and flourishing boundaries right? Yes, but not for RCB in this particular game.
The master-chaser, Kohli walked out, with the ability to raise the crowd’s voice in just a drive. He got off to the right start - a boundary. And, immediately, he was back to the dressing room, with a shot not resembling the 974 runs in one-season, run-machine. He was out, walking down the track and shouldering arms to being bowled when it matters, another oops. Jump back to 2019 Cricket World Cup, India needed 240 to win, which according to Kohli’s standard should be an easy chase right?
No, once again, it was Kohli who let the side down with his weakness once again rising from the grave. And then, the dream of 1.3 billion people crashed as the ball crashed into his leg-stump. And thus, Kohli’s 2019 went trophyless, just like his 2018, just like his 2017 and all the years he has been as a captain with RCB. To add salt to the wound, they finished last with five wins and 11 points, for a club with superstars such as AB de Villiers and Kohli himself amidst other global T20 stars.
Meanwhile, the same year, Rohit got the Mumbai Indians home from losing positions, game on like Donkey Kong. Two games that season that clearly defined what made him stand out from the rest - the game against RCB and the final against CSK. First up, Rohit showed up with the bat, scoring 48 off 33 deliveries, which includes eight boundaries and a six and then followed it up with some bowling changes, worth title-winning.
At the end of 11th over, RCB had raced to 95/2, with the in-form Kohli and ABD at the crease. It was the partnership that could potentially take the game away from the reach of the Mumbai franchise. Right when they upped the ante, Mumbai’s skipper upped his captaincy and brought his wicket-taker Jasprit Bumrah on to bowl. Well, no prizes for guessing how it panned out! It took him four deliveries and with that Kohli walked back to the hut, having scored 46 off 32 balls. And you would think that he continued to bowl Bumrah in the next one right? No, he gets one over from Pandya and one from Malinga.
Well, although, it did not go in his favour, it was well thought of, with Bumrah coming back in the 17th over. And, again, as scripted excellently well by Rohit, he strikes again. An inspired captaincy right when the team need it, with another one in his fourth over, with the game and the encounter done. With 17 runs needed off 6 deliveries, the game was never going to be won by RCB with Malinga defending. Another thing worth your attention, he gave the last over to his veteran bowler, a move that could have backfired, yet the confidence on the bowler’s ability, which was again in play in the IPL final against CSK. His inspired moves, like Viswanathan Anand on the chess-board with his thumb and index finger moving the pieces to perfection.
All of this said and done, it is Kohli who is leading the Indian team leaning into the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia. Moreso, with three IPL titles as a skipper, one as a player, it is the 32-year-old from Nagpur who is best suitable for leading the side. In the finals, he took the team home from an improbable situation, with Shane Watson pulling strings. After MS Dhoni in the IPL, it has been Rohit, who has won 60 games, losing 42 with 58.65% win-rate. To make things worse, Kohli has a win per cent of 47, with even Virender Sehwag having better numbers than the Indian skipper in the IPL. And, without his captaincy or batting prowess, India are just another average-Joe side in the T20 World Cup.
