Happy Birthday Virat Kohli: The King is back, making up for lost time with a World Cup to remember

There's something different in the air today as Virat Kohli celebrates his birthday. Just as there is something unique about Kohli. This may be him reaching his peak again, making up for three years of lost time.

Virat Kohli spent his past two birthdays in a very unusual and modest manner. Usually on the road, Kohli's birthday in 2020 was more about him beginning a new chapter in his life: parenthood. With his wife Anushka Sharma expecting the couple's first child, Virat's birthday was perhaps more about someone else for the first time in his life. The next year, in 2021, Kohli was at what was perhaps the lowest point of his career around and around his birthday. In his final competition as T20I captain, India was knocked out of the T20 World Cup two days after he turned 33. As if that wasn't enough, the BCCI told Kohli a little more than a month later that he was no longer required as India's ODI captain.This was hardly the birthday present that India's most decorated batter of the previous decade had hoped for.

To make matters worse, Kohli, who had gone two years without a century, was suddenly failing to achieve double-digit scores, much alone fifties. When 2022 began, it was assumed that Kohli, the champion, would shake off his bad form, but things quickly deteriorated. As a record-obsessed nation saw Kohli's fall from grace—their superhero, their king, humbled to being mortal—the Test average fell below 50 for the first time. In a heartbreaking sight during the IPL, the man who would previously conjure hundreds for pleasure was now staring at the sky, apparently demanding, "How many different methods are you going to discover to get me out?" Form evaded him as his runs dried up.

But, as the old saying goes, "difficult times have an expiration date," and while Kohli's period lasted longer than anybody expected, it is now finished. The old Kohli has returned on his 34th birthday, and he is ready to reclaim his kingdom. Kohli is dominating the charts in what may be his final T20 World Cup. Kohli is putting on a performance to remember, scoring over 200 runs in four matches at a Bradman-esque average of 220, as he did in the Asia Cup, where he was India's best run-scorer with 273 runs.

So far, all three Kohli innings have been diametrically opposed. Against Pakistan, Kohli batted conservatively on 12 of 21, before entering GOD-mode, whilst against the Netherlands, he demonstrated what the ideal batting template should look like on a slow surface. When he came to bat in the game against Bangladesh, Kohli made it plain what he wanted to do: go after the bowlers, and he did it with zeal. Nothing Kohli tried out in England four months ago was working. He can't put a foot wrong anymore.  This is the same guy who struggled to score a run. Imagine.

Kohli's 2016 performance remains unrivalled, while 2017 and 2018 were extensions of the same. But, after three frantic years, this is the Kohli who gets the closest to demonstrating the same class, authority, and conviction. It may have taken some time for Virat to put the entire Sourav Ganguly and captaincy debacle behind him, but now that he has, Kohli has an almost surreal and monk-like peace about him, which is not a quality that is synonymous with him.

For a long time, Kohli was considered India's heir to the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, both in terms of superstardom and batting honours. When Kohli scored his 43rd ODI century in August of 2019, it felt like it was just a matter of time before the legendary Tendulkar was deposed.The world is still waiting three years later. To be honest, it might not happen anymore. Six centuries may be too much for the talismanic star batter to cross at 34, with Kohli no longer captain, and given the significance of workload management. The silver lining in all of this is that it has given Kohli a completely fresh perspective on himself and his career.Records were never this important, and even if he does not surpass Tendulkar, Kohli's legacy will be that of the greatest Indian batsman and Test skipper of all time.

Even if we set away Kohli's extraordinary performances in this World Cup for a moment, so much more about Virat the batsman emerges. Kohli appears at ease, despite his near-impossible six off Haris Rauf, three half-centuries, and aggressive facial gestures. One of the most perplexing parts about Kohli's batting during a slump was his remarkable lack of concentration.When Kohli was at his peak previous to his downturn, once he hit fifty, a century was almost inevitable. However, between 2020 and June 2022, Kohli was regularly dismissed between 50 and 100 times, which was quite worrying. Fast forward to present, and Virat hasn't made a single mistake—no blunders, no lost catches. Kohli's class is pure and simple.

Kohli looks to be at ease both on and off the field. He is no longer irritated by frequent selfie requests; in Australia, Kohli has instead encouraged others to approach him and take selfies with him—stills in which Kohli is smiling more than the person beside him. Then there's his rekindled bond with captain Rohit Sharma, as well as his growing bromance with Suryakumar Yadav. As someone who has had second thoughts about asking harsh questions of Kohli in press conferences following an India defeat, Virat's Zen-like performance has given this writer the courage to break his hesitancy.

India's next match is on Sunday, but supporters have already flocked to Melbourne, hoping to catch a glimpse of their idol on his big day. Don't be shocked if Kohli makes an appearance reminiscent of SRK. But, although he soaks in all the attention on his birthday, Virat is focused on the greater picture: the game against Zimbabwe, which, if India wins, guarantees them a spot in the semi-finals. When India won the World Cup in 2011, Kohli was 22 years old and full of potential. Eleven years later, he is a sporting legend and one of the world's most recognisable figures. Kohli has participated in eight ICC tournaments, some of which he led, but with the exception of one, India has endured heartbreak in all of them.

But there's something unusual in the air this time. Just as there is something unique about Kohli. This may be him reaching his peak again, making up for three years of lost time. And what a redemption tale it would be if the King handed India the World Cup in front of a raucous MCG crowd.