1st May, 2023
It all started, as it most often does, with an inconspicuous trigger.
The 2nd leg of RCB vs LSG at Lucknow had just got over, and in spite of his team managing to defend a low total, Virat was in a tearing rage.
That Afghani upstart, Naveen ul Haq, had said some pretty uncomplimentary things to him as they shook hands (or tried to break the bones in each other's hands). Virat had to admit he'd played his part in the altercation that began on the field in the 16th over--
That upstart, as the match went down the wire, had stared down at Siraj, who got excited and disturbed all very quickly, so Virat had had to step in with a glare of his own and, after Siraj got Naveen to play consecutive dot balls, he gestured to the sole of his shoes at Naveen with no polite implication.
But that had been in the heat of the moment, during the match.
While they crossed over as the two teams shook hands, Virat fixed a superior look on his face, one that yelled 'WE WON.'
Naveen was clearly not one to take such things lying down, so he whispered under his breath that RCB was still below LSG in the points table. Virat turned to grab the upstart's arm to give him a piece of his mind for trash-talking his team, but they were separated before either could let it go properly.
So Virat was basically in a tearing rage.
He hadn't been allowed to vent to his heart's content, and when he was mad, he needed to vent on someone to calm himself down.
And then Gambhir came storming up to the bunch of RCB players after the Presentation and demanded, "Do you not know Afghanistan is not an associate member any longer?"
(Yeah, Virat might have called Naveen's national team an associate cricketing member when Naveen was having a go at RCB.)
"Your poor players go whining to their coach if someone's mean to them, do they, Gauti bhai? Can't they fight their battles on their own?"
"Especially being an Indian cricketing icon, you can't demean a cricket-playing nation on a whim, Virat!"
"Oh, like it's Afghanistan you care about?"
Virat's voice was rising, as was Gambhir's.
A crowd of RCB and LSG players was gathering around. Some people might be enjoying the tiff, but Rahul, who'd limped up to stand beside Gambhir, wasn't one of them.
The fight quickly escalated from RCB and Afghanistan to arrogance and setting a bad example to people and pride coming before a fall, as was expected from two furious and willful Delhi guys.
"--STUPID CULTURE INSIDE THE DRESSING ROOM--"
"--KEEPING YOUR ARROGANCE AT LEAST SLIGHTLY HIDDEN--"
"--FULL OF BEANS WHEN STARTING IT BUT TOO SCARED WHEN IT GETS OUT OF HAND--"
"Virat," hissed Rahul.
"PITY NOBODY TAUGHT YOU--"
"Gauti bhai, you go, I'll--" said Rahul in vain.
"--THE WAY TO TALK TO SENIORS--"
"SENIORS HAVE TO EARN RESPECT FIRST IF THEY EXPECT TO BE TREATED WITH IT!"
"Virat, please just let it go," said Rahul, low and pleading.
"I have to let it go?" shouted Virat. "Why is it always me who has to let it go?"
Rahul decided against pointing out that actually it was never Virat who let it go, unless he was faced with an equally fiery opposition like Gauti bhai. There weren't too many Virat's or Gauti bhai's in the world.
"Because you shouldn't talk like that to a senior," he tried to whisper without everyone hearing.
"THAT'S THE ONLY CARD! THE CARD OF BEING A SENIOR!"
Rahul heaved a sigh of relief when Gambhir was pulled away by a couple of members of their team. Rahul indicated at Virat to go away, too, in the opposite direction.
Virat's eyes were spitting sparks when Faf dragged him away.
________________
It was Rahul limping off after Gauti bhai that got to Virat.
It wouldn't have made him so mad if he'd been walking off.
But he was limping and he was still going after Gauti bhai, taking Gauti bhai's side, not taking Virat's side.
Virat was completely complacent in his entitlement to expect Rahul should have taken his side on this one. Rahul should take his side in any incident, honestly, because Virat always took his side.
Maybe that was why it stung so badly.
He was perfectly sure (and not without reason) that if their roles had been reversed, he would have taken Rahul's side irrespective. Why just Rahul? Virat Kohli would have taken the side of anyone he loved if they got into a tiff, whether it was with a senior or the prime minister or an alien.
He would have taken their side even if they had been in the wrong (which, of course, Virat certainly wasn't in today's case).
Virat wouldn't be a drama queen and pretend he had a lack of support in any fight he'd ever fought. The majority always supported him. The crowd definitely always did, even crowds outside India.
But it didn't matter how the Lucknow crowd booed at Naveen ul Haq while he was entering the dugout, it didn't matter how Twitter would be overflowing right now with 'support Virat Kohli' tweets. The only person whose support mattered to Virat was busy being captain and diplomatic.
Diplomacy!
Everyone was always bothered about diplomacy!
Very well, thought Virat defiantly, I can play at diplomacy, too.
He didn't need to hang around in the stadium to talk with the opposition captain, to check if his limp was getting worse. Why would he? He was the opposition captain.
Diplomatically, it had been great that the opposition's captain and best batsman had got injured, which was how, no doubt, his team had managed to defend that paltry total.
That thought struck cold and depressing to him.
But he was speaking diplomatically, of course.
Virat stomped out to his team bus and returned to the hotel with the first lot.
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