ICT ONE-SHOTS (FRIENDSHIP)

Things Virat Kohli does not miss about captaincy (Rohit-Virat-Jinks)

2nd T20I, India vs West Indies, Eden Gardens, 2022

India was in a slight spot of bother when Rohit put Bhuvi in to bowl his third. The set batsman miscued a lofted shot which shot straight up.

Bhuvi, on the spur of the moment, looked around to see if anyone else was going to claim it, then ran for it himself. In doing so, he'd done the exact thing players going for a high catch should not do—take their eyes off the ball.

He dropped it.

"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" Rohit kicked the ball which had rolled over to his feet.

Bhuvi paused in the action of hitting his forehead in frustration and looked up, stunned just like everyone around.

"Why don't we just give up the match to them already?" snarled Rohit, storming back to his fielding position.

Bhuvi exchanged a look with Virat, who was staring wide-eyed from point, before going to take his run-up.

****************

Later, after Bhuvi had won India the match with an extraordinarily miserly penultimate over, Rohit praised him extravagantly at the presentation, but was too ashamed and horrified to talk to him directly.

Virat slipped into the seat beside a silent Rohit in the bus.

"I'm sorry," said Rohit.

"I'm not the one you should be saying that to," said Virat.

"You're the only one I dare to say that to," sighed Rohit, "because how can I possibly face him after that—that—"

"—losing control incident," suggested Virat.

"I don't lose control," said Rohit.

"Welcome to the extremely enviable post of national captain, Ro."

"But I never lose control like you!"

Virat coughed.

"I can't believe I yelled at Bhuvi—in front of the—the juniors..."

"You're lucky it's Bhuvi, who is mature enough to deal with it. Few years ago, I yelled at Kuliya on the field and he was convinced I hated him," said Virat, half-fond, half-exasperated at the memory.

"How did you convince him otherwise?"

"Talked to him," said Virat with a nudge. "He's right there—go and talk to him. Bhuvi doesn't take offence, Bhuvi doesn't hold grudges, Bhuvi will just smile and say, never mind, I know you didn't mean it."

"Like you would've been so guiltless if you'd been the one who had shouted at Bhuvi, Virat," said Rohit in disgust and made himself stand up and call, "Bhuvi—" before he could double guess himself.

Virat leaned over the backrest of the seat in front, occupied by Rishabh, ruffled his hair and tried to listen in.

Bhuvi did exactly what Virat had known he would, which made Rohit even more upset with guilt.

And Virat knew he would've felt the same, and he realized he did not miss the guilt after a losing-control incident about captaincy.

*****************

Jinks and Pujji were excluded from the squad of the Sri Lanka series—the first time ever since Pujji's debut in 2012 and Jinks's in 2013.

It was, if you were fair, inevitable. The duo had averaged in the lower 20s over the past two years, and Rohit and Rahul, the captain and vice-captain who were on conference call with the board of selectors, knew it had been coming, and could not do anything when it came.