Kohli has put it on the record: when you hear a Karan Aujla song in his head before he goes out to face the bowler, it isn’t for show. “It is what keeps me with my father and in the fight,” he put it. He made the point clear at the One8 premiere in New Delhi.
You can tell from the way fans have taken to it – some pride, some of them in a more knowing way. It is a very Virat kind of thing to say, and it fits with a year where, even at 37, he has been hard to put down. Just look at the 675 runs he put up in the last IPL for RCB; that is no fluke.
The song that hits a nerve
He was not one to mince words about it. With Aujla right there beside him, Kohli said 'Winning Speech‘ is the one he relates to. You can see the parallel in their stories, he said, and in the hard stuff like having to come to terms with your father’s passing at an early age.
Before a must-win, he will have the song on. Call it what you like, but for him it is a way to remember who he is and what he is out there for, so the pressure doesn’t get to you. It is his own little pre-game trigger for what you then see on the field.
Clutch mindset, explained
Then there is the matter of why he is drawn to the unlikeliest of situations. He wants to be in the thick of it when a match seems to be slipping away and a bit of quiet stubbornness can turn it on its head. Hasn’t been any different since he was a kid.
Take Melbourne, for instance, and that night we won against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. He was told after the fact that we had a 3 per cent shot at it, but he never let go of that. If there is a chance, he will take it. That is how he is wired.
Put simply, it goes like this:
– Go after the pressure, don’t run from it
– Have faith in a single opportunity, ignore the board
– Don’t let in any doubt until the final over
Form that matches the feeling
The music may be the catalyst, but the stats are the proof. This was not just another steady season for Kohli in the IPL; it was the kind of form you can’t miss.
With 675 runs to his name, he has put RCB in the shade this season and, as was made clear at the event, put up a number for an IPL that is his personal best.
You don’t have to be a fan to see where it comes from. There’s a throughline to it all: the routine, the hard edge, the memory of his father. It’s what makes him tick, and you can spot it in the way he goes about a run chase or steels himself for a tense end to a game.
Karan Aujla and some shared energy
It’s a two-way street when it comes to respect. Kohli and Aujla are on good terms these days, but he’ll tell you he was one of the singer’s fans well before they were friends. It puts a human face on what could be seen as just another celebrity nod.
Then there was Aujla, who had only put to bed a huge show in Delhi at the JLN Stadium with 70,000 people in the stands. He put on a performance, let the fireworks have their say and ran through a set of hits – ‘Tauba Tauba’, ‘Gangster’, ‘Bachke Bachke’ and the like. Some of it made its way online, which is a sign the Punjabi pop scene isn’t on the periphery of culture any more. For Kohli to tap into that kind of vibe before a big match is no surprise.
The One8 outlook
You can also see a side of him that is less about the game. Talking up One8 Commune, he was uncharacteristically removed for a man who put it together. His aim is for the brand to be so big in 20 years’ time that his name isn’t even part of the equation.
He put it plainly: he would be proudest if nobody gave a second thought to who was behind it. The product should speak for itself. In a world where brands are all about the personality, it’s a rare position to take.
Why it is worth noting
The moment is right for it. Having been put back in the spotlight after a fine year, Kohli is not just talking stats. He is giving you a look at the fuel: a bit of history, some music, and a willingness to live on the edge.
It is a compelling mix. You get a star you can relate to, but one with an edge. Even a pre-game playlist is more than just noise; when he puts on 'Winning Speech‘, he is getting in the zone, not putting on a show.
What stands out is the same mindset in the boardroom as on the pitch. Hold your ground. Let the results make the case. It is the kind of thinking that made 3 per cent a thing of beauty and 675 runs a season we won’t forget.
In a time when you are shown everything, this is something different. No stunts, no taglines. Just a champion with a song and a story, still out there as if there is always another ball to be played.
