“I have to stay true to my technique,” said Virat Kohli after the first of two successive centuries in the IPL, reminding everyone, “We’ve got Test cricket after the IPL.”
He was saying, in effect, that there are two ways of making runs. One is the way henormally plays, and the other is to play like someone else. When a traditionalist makes a century in a T20 game playing his normal game, the cricket gods rejoice.
The IPL can be cruel. Joe Root, according to some the greatest England batsman of all time,spent much of this year’s tournament sitting in the dugout. When he was finally included in the Rajasthan Royals eleven after about a month and ten matches, he didn’t bat in his first two games. After a promising T20 scoop to the fence in his third, he was dismissed for 10.
