Although regular skipper Daniel Vettoris return to action may have relieved Virat Kohli from the responsibility of leading his team,he could not quite escape from multi-tasking on the field when Royal Challengers Bangalore took on Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. Miked up to the commentary box,he had to answer a series of questions posed at him by Sunil Gavaskar regarding his teams progress in IPL IV,along with guarding the crucial backward-square region. While Kohli did not stutter much with his replies,he did sound slightly embarrassed when Gavaskar signed off by appreciating the youngsters eagerness to smile in his latest magazine photoshoot. On the face of it,Gavaskars conversation with Kohli might have sounded corny. But with his final suggestion You look better when you keep smiling, is what he said the former Indian captain probably was referring to the happier place that Kohli inhabits presently after having spent most of his early days scowling into cameras,even after scoring hundreds. And in the batting form he has been over the last 12 months,Kohli can also afford to smile much more. Formula for success The 22-year-old right-hander has not only established himself as one of the mainstays in the Indias middle-order in limited-overs cricket in the last year or so. Renowned for and criticised incessantly for his brashness bordering on arrogance at the start of his career,Kohli has in fact also managed to channelise that inherent belligerence in the right direction,and found a lot of success doing just that. Bangalores amazing rise to the top of the IPL IV league table,after languishing at the bottom during the first few weeks,has been deservedly attributed to the destruction that Chris Gayle has caused since arriving late. But with 444 runs at a healthy average of 44.40,Kohli has been a crucial contributor in the middle-order,and more often than not has played the role of an aggressive anchor to perfection. While his new-found maturity and ability to remain level-headed in every situation has won him many new fans,Kohlis consistency has been the most significant aspect of his rapid development in recent times. While Gayle has run away with all the plaudits,every single one of Kohlis three half-centuries have come at crucial times for Bangalores sake. And he will once again have a crucial role to play if Bangalore have to book a place in the final on Tuesday rather than make the trip to Chennai needing another win to get there. Gayles arrival has been very positive for the team. It has made a big difference. He has brought a positive energy in the team, said Kohli on the eve of his teams playoff qualifier in Mumbai. But having shared partnerships of 52 (where he contributed 32 off them),111,83 and 80 with Gayle,Kohli has proved a stable ally to Gayles dominance. Taking charge Another pleasing factor in Kohlis emergence has been his ability to take charge and hold his nerves in every situation he is faced with. On three occasions already he has walked out to bat in the very first over of Bangalores innings. And on two of those,Kohli has started off with boundaries. Rather than let the pressure of the situation bog him down,he has managed to shift it onto the bowler. Against Delhi Daredevils he walked in to face the third delivery of the innings,and by the end of the over,he had raced onto eight with two fours. Against Chennai on Sunday,he was up against R Ashwin,who had just gotten rid of AB de Villiers,and Kohli promptly fiercely cut his first ball for four. Though he did not see the game off,like he has on numerous occasions both for Team India and for Bangalore in his latest avatar,he brought a lot of smiles to the Bangalore camp with a crucial 31. His IPL team,and Indian cricket alike,can only hope that he continues in the same jolly vein and brings a lot of joy for them in the process.
