The Indian team’s current series against South Africa has benefited from the comeback of modern-day legend Virat Kohli to peak ODI form. The experienced batter’s violent celebrations after smashing back-to-back hundreds in Ranchi and Raipur garnered more attention than the runs alone. Ravichandran Ashwin, a former off-spinner for India, has deciphered Kohli’s reactions, concluding that they convey an emotional message related to recent criticism and his departure from Test cricket.
The 37-year-old made the difficult choice to retire from the longest format earlier this year after a poor run in Test cricket and uncertainty surrounding his future. Both Rohit Sharma and Kohli played in Ranji Trophy matches after almost ten years, as a result of growing criticism of the BCCI’s rule mandating senior players to play local cricket. Many thought that rather than choosing to retire from Tests, the two legends were compelled to do so.
Before hitting a game-winning 74 in Sydney, Kohli had a brief slump that included two ducks in Australia.
He did, however, regain his form after his double hundreds against South Africa. Kohli hammered 135 in Ranchi and 102 in Raipur during the current ODI series, then added another century in Raipur. He is the front-runner for Player of the Series going into the finale at Visakhapatnam, where he averages close to 98, with 237 runs at an average of 118.50 across the series.
The veteran yelled, leaped into the air and celebrated in a way that supporters had not witnessed in years after hitting both centuries. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin claimed that discussions regarding Kohli’s deteriorating condition and his potential to become a one-format star were the exact cause of his celebrations.
“Why is Virat having such a party? What has he experienced and what is he thinking? Remember that Virat quit playing Test cricket. Both things seemed to happen at the same time. He always wanted to play Test cricket because he loved it, but he backed off because it wasn’t just about his desires. We don’t really know what he was battling with, but there was a lot of talk about him and queries about his lack of runs in Test matches. Any choice to leave the sport is significant, according to Ashwin.
must have taken it personally when others questioned his abilities: Ashwin
Ashwin went on to say that the cricket player’s decision to participate in the Vijay Hazare Trophy is a sign that he wants to demonstrate that he is still driven, competitive, and far from done.
He must have felt the need to prove to everyone what he was still capable of since he took it personally that others were questioning his aptitude. Sometimes you may escape when you’re determined to prove yourself, and Virat may have experienced it in the past. However, it appears that he is now stating that, in case you were sceptical, this is evidence of my continued abilities. He seemed to be in a pleasant state of mind. Ashwin concluded, “His centre of gravity is significantly lower than it was over the previous few years, which is an important factor in timing the ball well and judging the length early.”
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