Pride is often an adornment that kings don. But after his final war that ended in a great victory, this one, known for his impulsive valour, remained grounded. His words: “This was an open secret. Not something that I wasn’t going to announce even if we had lost... It’s been difficult to hold [feelings] back and I think it’s going to sink in later. It’s an amazing day and I’m thankful...”
The king did weep, but wiped his tears as he sat down to send word to his queen. The cameras zoomed in in awe as he blew kisses at the phone screen, made silly faces at his kids and tried his best to listen to them from a packed stadium that was roaring his name, alongside victory chants.
“This man is setting the bar high for the companions, husbands and fathers out there,” one netizen responded.
The chest-thumping, fist-pumping aggressor, India’s master run-chaser, and the man who famously silenced rivals, their supporters and even those who “sit and speak from the box” felt a far cry from the man that night in Barbados. At 35, having finally completed white-ball cricket by claiming the one trophy that eluded him for 12 years, Virat Kohli looked grateful if not relieved.
For Rajkumar Sharma, his childhood coach, there was no “new” Kohli at the postmatch presentation. “The aggression has been and always will be his strength,” he told THE WEEK. “But outside the ground, he has always been humble. It was very good to see him publicly saying that he is a God-fearing man and believes in destiny. He was always like that. As he has aged, he has become more mature.”
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
