As characters they are like chalk and cheese, as expected from any ‘vada pav’ loving Mumbaikar and ‘chhole-bhature’ loving Delhiite. But for every beautiful cover drive, there is always a brilliant pull shot, and that is why Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have complemented each other for the last decade and a half – through disappointments, triumphs and now retirement from T20 Internationals. Together, they bring alive the word contrasts – Kohli bringing in the darker shades with his determined intensity in pursuit of excellence and Rohit with the lighter shades that reflect the calm amid the storm.
Their reactions immediately after the T20 World Cup win spawned thousands of pictures.
Rohit first went down on his knees and then lay on the ground, his eyes filled with tears. Kohli, on the other hand, walked quietly towards the dressing room, trying his best to hide his emotions. He was trying to enjoy the celebrations but was also a little detached.
However, there was a common thread that continued to bind them – a genuine respect for each other’s art and achievements.
And that is one of the reasons they respect each other’s space. Rohit was well aware that Kohli had decided to retire from this format regardless of the outcome.
When his colleague of nearly 16 years announced his decision after the match, the captain gave him the platform and the moment without uttering a word about his future plans.
He said this in his unique style at the press conference, and answered one of the last questions of the conversation.
It seems that Kohli had decided this long ago.
“It was an open secret, now it’s time for the next generation to take over. Win or lose, I was going to announce it,” Like his preparation before a big innings, the veteran had done his homework and hence the timing was impeccable.
When Rohit was asked about his retirement, his answer was as always straightforward and immediate.
The captain said, “I never thought that I would retire from T20. But the situation is such that I thought this is the perfect situation for me. Nothing could be better than saying goodbye by winning the cup.”
If two powerful artists are working in the same era, a clash is bound to happen.
There is an old saying “two swords cannot stay in one sheath”. In Indian cricket, the stakes are so high that the two swords learn to stay together for their respective benefits.
Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev were caught in the crosshairs in the mid-80s – a time when there was no concept of social media.
Read ‘Runs in Ruins’ and ‘By God’s Decree’ and you will know that between 82 and 85, when captaincy became a game of chairs between the two, things were not smooth at all.
But he never lost respect for his contribution.
At the age at which Rohit and Kohli are playing, it must be said at least that they are very dangerous.
Over the last few years, with the rapid growth of social media and the appetite for radical content, where fiction is often presented as fact, the two megastars of Indian cricket have been able to maintain their sanity, composure and dignity in the brouhaha, which both knew was superficial and would remain so.
While conspiracy theories had surfaced about their fractured working relationship after the 2019 World Cup semi-final exit and when Kohli decided to step down from T20 captaincy, not to forget also when the BCCI decided to promote Rohit as the white-ball captain of both formats.
Some social media videos of Kohli show his respect for Rohit.
“When he came on the field for the first time, everybody said a player has come Rohit Sharma. I used to think young players to hum bhi hain, aisa kaun sa khiladi hai bhai ki koi humari baat nahi karta. Then I saw his innings in the T20 World Cup against South Africa and I lay down on my sofa. I told myself, today onwards, keep quiet,” this is what Kohli had said a few years ago while talking about Rohit on the popular podcast Breakfast with Champions, at a time when his own stardom had reached manic proportions.
When Rohit says, “Look, Virat has undoubtedly been a champion player. And we all know what he has done for us”, it comes with utmost conviction.
Kohli, on his part, said: “I have played six T20 World Cups and Rohit has played nine. He deserves it.” Both had different kinds of struggles. Kohli had to prove his worth in a corrupt Delhi environment where his late father, a lawyer, had refused to pay bribes for Under-15 selection.
Rohit’s uncle, on the other hand, told the authorities of Swami Vivekananda School in Borivali that it would be difficult to pay the monthly tuition fee of Rs 200 in the late 90s. He was eventually offered a sports scholarship.
Long before Roger Federer had to say that “effortlessness is a myth”, Rohit would tell anyone who cared to listen that “lazy elegance” and “genius” were an insult to all the hard work that goes into perfecting a smooth pick-up pull shot.
Just like Gavaskar raising Kapil’s hand on the Lord’s balcony on June 25, 1983 is memorable for some old fans, the ‘Ro-Ko’ bear hug will bring tears pooling in the corners of the eyes of youngsters.
They are the ‘Salim-Javed’ of Indian cricket, who have given back to back hits. They will always bring back old memories.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Topics mentioned in this article
