T20 World Cup 2022: Approachable ‘Virat Kohli’ is making everyone smile in Australia

He
is
still
the
‘King
Kohli’ surrounded
by
people
and
his
distinct
swagger
remains
very
much
part
of
his
personality
but
at
the
same
time,
he
looks
a
completely
different
human
being
and
very
approachable.

Even
if
you
are
not
a
manic
cricket
fan,
you
would
still
like
to
break
a
barricade
to
go
near
him
and
may
be
just
say
‘hi’.
There
is
every
possibility
that
you
will
get
back
a
smile
in
return
and
that
would
seem
very
sincere,
deep
and
genuine.
Your
day
will
be
made
and
you
will
go
home
a
happy
man.

Cricket
is
a
‘performing
art’ and
as
an
artist,
it
is
not
just
his
achievements
but
the
connect
that
he
is
slowly
creating
with
his
fans
which
will
contribute
immensely
to
his
rich
legacy.
It
is
not
just
about
eulogizing
the
alpha
male
who
you
see
on
TV
screens
every
night
as
you
savour
your
dinner.

Now
the
relationship
seems
far
more
organic
where
the
adulation
from
fans
and
the
reciprocation
from
their
hero
has
become
a
two-way
street.
Success
teaches
you
a
lot
but
failure
most
certainly
is
the
biggest
teacher.
It
makes
you
perhaps
explore
your
vulnerabilities
and
you
start
relating
more
with
the
common
public.

In
these
14
days
across
different
Australian
cities,
watching
Kohli
connect
with
his
fans,
give
autographs,
selfies,
stand
for
a
group
picture
or
share
a
moment
or
two
with
familiar
faces
from
the
media
group
would
make
one
feel
that
he
no
longer
wants
to
alienate
people.

Noted
actor
Will
Smith
after
the
Oscar
gate
had
referred
to
what
colleague
Denzel
Washington
had
told
him,
“At
your
highest
moment,
be
careful,
that’s
when
the
devil
comes
for
you.”

It
is
not
that
he
did
not
stop
by
for
selfies,
autographs
or
a
chat
earlier
but
the
same
Kohli
in
Australia
(2015),
in
England
(2017)
or
in
2019
looked
like
a
man
from
another
planet.
During
his
peak,
if
one
looks
at
some
of
the
selfies
that
Kohli
gave,
it
seemed
like
another
mandatory
exercise.

Perhaps
the
three
years
of
unconditional
support
as
he
battled
a
lean
patch
made
him
realise
the
need
to
carry
people
along.
In
Melbourne,
in
Sydney,
in
Perth
and
in
Adelaide,
this
correspondent
met
at
least
10-15
different
people
who
showed
their
selfies
with
Kohli
while
a
few
others
showed
autographs
on
caps.

A
few
also
met
him
at
a
mall
and
some
caught
hold
of
him
by
the
coffee
shop.
One
Indian
from
Canberra,
who
had
come
to
watch
a
game
in
Adelaide,
said:
“We
saw
him
at
the
coffee
shop
with
some
of
the
support
staff.
We
were
a
bit
apprehensive
if
we
should
approach
him
but
he
called
us
and
posed
with
us.”

A
junior
women’s
club
hockey
team
in
Melbourne
got
to
pose
with
the
former
India
captain
in
the
middle.
If
he
now
sees
familiar
faces
from
the
media,
he
would
greet
them
with
a
smile
and
check
on
their
well-being.
He
smiled
at
a
journalist
turned
Youtuber
and
also
spoke
to
him
for
a
minute
while
walking
back
from
the
practice.
The
journalists
and
youtubers
(there
are
way
too
may)
surrounded
him.

“Aap
sab
aoo,
(you
all
come),”
he
called
all
of
them
including
photo
and
video
journalists
and
posed
with
them.
He
was
very
livid
with
a
freelancer
in
New
Zealand
back
in
2020
for
an
article
that
he
had
written.
He
saw
the
same
journalist
and
asked
him
to
join
the
group
for
a
photograph.

As
he
celebrates
his
34th
birthday
on
Saturday,
he
has
hit
his
second
peak
and
one
can
bet
his
last
shirt
that
even
if
another
dip
comes,
rest
assured,
a
few
million
pure
fans
will
also
join
his
bandwagon
of
‘Viratians’.

Will
India’s
playing
XI
see
any
change?

The
Indian
team
management
might
be
wary
of
changing
the
playing
eleven
for
an
important
final
group
league
game
against
Zimbabwe.
While
Axar
Patel
(total
of
6
overs
of
bowling
and
9
balls
of
batting)
seem
grossly
under-utilised
but
dropping
him
isn’t
an
option
because
Yuzvendra
Chahal
doesn’t
have
the
batting
prowess.

However,
there
is
a
possibility
that
India
will
meet
England
in
the
semi-final
in
Adelaide
and
Chahal
has
a
better
record
than
any
Indian
spinner
against
Jos
Buttler’s
side.
But
throwing
him
directly
in
the
semi-final
might
be
unfair
on
him
and
hence
it
remains
to
be
seen
if
he
gets
a
game
against
Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe
also
have
multiple
left-handers
in
the
top
order.