Virat Kohli’s carves Desert Storm 2.0 as Dubai stays witness to his superhuman phenomenon

Last night witnessed Team India knitting together a resounding performance that blew Pakistan out of the ICC Champions Trophy. Virat Kohli emerged as the ultimate warrior for the Men in Blue, leading the charge with a phenomenal century. However, despite the incessant laurels being heaped at the other end of the knock, the path to the 82nd international ton for the King was rife with thorns and obstacles alike.

In the series against England, Virat got out for six in the second ODI while drumming up his signature magic in the third with a brilliant half-century. He got the start against Bangladesh in the ICC Champions Trophy opener but failed to convert it into a big one. With the embers flying wild, the signs were simply getting clearer for the Chasemaster to come alive.

Kohli walked out to bat against Pakistan when India lost their captain. Another wicket in that particular juncture could have triggered an avalanche. The former Indian captain showed restraint in the wee hours of his innings, building for a paroxysm of brilliance to take center stage later along the way.

It took him a while to open up but an artistic cover drive against Haris Rauf on the first ball of the 12th over flashed the warning signs loud and clear. The ball didn’t race away to the fence on that one but the following delivery produced a better result, screaming elegance, class and brilliance.

Kohli racked up a dream feat of 14,000 runs in ODIs with his picture-perfect cover drive on the second ball of Rauf’s over as well. As the ball cannoned through the carpet, the audience stood up in a deafening roar to greet Kohli’s magical feat. The last ball of the over saw Kohli unleashing his freewheeling spirit with another glimpse of artistic perfection screaming away through the covers.

Rauf found himself at the receiving end of Kohli’s extravagant brilliance as he hooked another against the same man with a lot more conviction. King Kohli blended calm with aggression and he also found suitable partners in the form of Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer who gave him the perfect company to time his innings to the T.

Virat brought up his half-century in style with a lofted drive as the deep cover fielder could only scramble in anticipation. With India nearing the finishing line, Kohli knew it was time to switch gears and what followed suit was an explosion of rollicking strokeplay.

With two needed for India to win and four needed for Kohli to carve his 82nd international century, a boundary was what the entire nation hoped for with bated breath. Kohli came down the track against Khusdil Shah and he went inside out over covers with the ball kissing the fence in a heartbeat.

The Indian camp erupted into an unbridled frenzy while the man himself took his helmet off, flashed a smile that won a gazillion hearts again and again and again. Kohli played with effortless ease and the sense of timing surging through every blade of the grass in Dubai was an ode to his superhuman phenomenon.