Virat Kohli’s 58th List A century felt like a grand opera performed inside an empty Royal Albert Hall. His 83-ball masterclass for Delhi against Andhra in the Vijay Hazare Trophy was vintage in execution, yet unfolded in near silence, with no roaring crowd to adorn the moment at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.
The KSCA was obliged to move games to CoE due to the Karnataka government’s reluctance to approve hosting at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, claiming security concerns, and the location was off-limits to spectators. For Kohli’s 15-year return to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, an austere scene was created by a line of slow-moving cargo trucks, a sizable contingent of police officers, and a few spectators staring over the barbed concrete walls.
It may have seemed a little strange to Kohli himself. The 37-year-old has been greeted with cheers whenever he enters a cricket pitch for the better part of the past fifteen years. Even his 12-year absence from the Ranji Trophy at Ferozeshah Kotla earlier this year drew sizable crowds.
However, on a bright Wednesday, Kohli took a somewhat unusual, solitary stroll to the center without any applause, “Kohli… Kohli!” chants, or even the traditional RCB yells that resound around stadiums regardless of the formats he plays.
Only when the players on the fielding side conversed with one another or when sporadic cheers came from the corresponding changing rooms did the thick cloak of quiet come off.
However, the whole scene had a certain allure. A champion cricket player who had always had admirers and celebrity by his side was now doing it all alone. A diving stop to deny Ricky Bhui another boundary, brief conversations and high fives with teammates, and a brief instruction to Delhi pacer Navdeep Saini when Andhra batsmen dragged him around were all part of the action.
Kohli even danced to a made-up song. Maybe an attempt to replicate the excitement and theatrical atmosphere he so adores on a cricket pitch. He was attempting to ignite his inner playwright, which frequently led him to some vertiginous heights.
However, his batting was unaffected by that situational isolation. With the exception of a few drops, Kohli effortlessly assumed his well-known “Chase Master” attire. On Wednesday, his money shots—pulls, charge to spinners, flicks, cuts, and those stunning perpendicular bat straight drives—were clearly visible.
None of those achievements were commemorated with the customary fervor, even though fifty arrived in 39 balls and 100 in 83 balls. However, the occasion was marked with a simple wave to the dressing room. In reality, those moments were so profoundly obscured by stillness that they could have been missed with a blink.
However, there was more to it than that. It’s possible that Kohli also relished the little bit of solitude that he frequently longs for.
He established a second base in London in addition to his extremely luxurious Mumbai residence as a result of his desire for privacy. He had all the seclusion he wanted at the BCCI Centre of Excellence.
But usual pandemonium marked the end of the day. He grinned as Andhra officials and cricket players surrounded him to take pictures and sign autographs.
“It was a dream to play in the same match as Kohli. I always wanted to play with or in the opposition (of Kohli), and the all the Andhra cricketers were elated at the opportunity,” said fellow centurion Ricky Bhui after the match.
