New Delhi. T20 cricket is often called a game of “attack only” where big shots on every ball are considered the key to success, but sometimes an innings changes this thinking completely. An innings which shows that not just strength, understanding and balance are equally important. This innings of Virat Kohli is an example of the same class and control, which shows that even today cricket is not just a game of aggression, but the art of reading minds and situations.
For the past few months, it has been heard continuously that the role of “anchor” in T20 cricket has ended but every time Virat Kohli plays a match-winning innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), this debate starts again. In the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), Kohli scored almost one-third of the team's total score. While chasing the target of 203 runs, he scored unbeaten 69 runs. The question is not how many runs he scored, the question is whether he helped the team win and the answer is yes.
Kohli's calculator work
The truth is that in the end only victory matters. RCB won the match in just 15.4 overs, in which Kohli controlled the chase very well and guided the young players, especially Devdutt Paddikal, brilliantly. When Padikkal was in great form, Kohli gave him maximum strikes, which was the right decision at that time. At one time Padikkal was on 34 runs in 11 balls, while Kohli was on 7 runs in 6 balls, but does it matter because Kohli was doing what was necessary for the team at that time. There is no single formula in cricket, every match, every situation is different and we have seen the same in the era of “Baseball”.
T-20 does not just mean breaking
It was a pleasure to watch Kohli bat. He looked completely committed and hungry and he understood the situation of the match and did not let the game stop even for a moment. At the same time, he also paid full attention to the net run rate, which could prove to be very important at the end of the season. It was a brilliant innings in every sense and yes, he played the role of anchor in it. So when we say that there is no place for anchor in T20, the truth is that there is always room for class in every format, in every situation. Over the years, Kohli has honed his T20 batting to a fine balance of aggression and understanding. He doesn't attack every ball and to be honest, there is not always a need for it. RCB had to achieve the target of 203 runs, not 255, which is considered a normal score in today's T20 cricket. Kohli knew what to do, and he executed it well.
It is more important to score runs than to score runs.
In fact, Padikkal made their job easier by playing a brilliant inning of 61 runs, especially by dominating the powerplay. This is why partnerships are so important. Padikkal was in the attacking role, while Kohli played the supporting role. It was not about who dominated, but about what was best for the team. The new generation players will probably grow up with the mindset of playing high-risk, high-reward cricket but they should look at this innings of Kohli and understand that cricket can never be one-dimensional. There will always be many layers to this game, and the players who adapt to these circumstances are the ones who become truly great. This innings of Kohli was a great example of that art because the beauty of cricket is hidden in its layers.
