Virat Kohli’s captivating presence can always leave spectators spellbound. But as champions know, there are no shortcuts to success.

At Eden Gardens on Wednesday, Kohli batted for close to an hour: first at the practice wicket next to the main square against the pacers and then proceeding to the adjoining nets to face the spinners.

He has never settled for mediocrity and loves to excel by dominating the opposition. The fear of failure no longer bothers him though he has admitted to feeling stressed at times.

The national selectors’ silent message that they are looking for a young and exuberant side for the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the US in June next year may not work for him. Kohli will be 35 then but that can never be an impediment to his selection.

He remains supremely fit, among the fittest in world cricket, and it shows in his movement on the field. Thankfully for India and Kohli, ‘workload management’ has never had any serious impact on his body. He has never been bothered by serious injury concerns in his career and perhaps his exquisite fitness regime has helped him in this respect.

Kohli knows he has to perform if he intends to stay in the reckoning. He hasn’t featured in any of the T20Is since the World Cup in Australia, where he was the top scorer with 296 runs. A successful IPL could be the only way to make the selectors and the captain-in-waiting, Hardik Pandya, rethink their plans.

By the time the next IPL comes around, the selectors would have their squad in place and the fitness maniac is not willing to let this opportunity go. While Ruturaj Gaikwad and Shubman Gill seem to have sealed the opening slot, the No.3 position is still vacant.

This could well be Kohli’s IPL. He was the top scorer in the 2016 edition with 973 runs though RCB finished runners-up. They have made a perfect start to IPL 2023 defeating five-time champions Mumbai Indians at home. Kohli played a pivotal role, an unbeaten 82 off 49 while stitching together a record 148-run opening stand with Faf du Plessis, to help RCB chase down 172 in 16.2 overs.

The former captain was challenged to a “poetry contest” on RCB’s social media platform and he responded in splendid fashion.

“Fulfil your desire. Ignite the fire. Bat through the tough times... Life can put you in a pickle, laugh through like it’s a tickle. Whether you get a 100 or a duck, life goes on and don’t get stuck. There is no map, ride the tide...” was Kohli’s response.

It portrays his life and provides a peek into how he battles through the rough phases.