On Monday evening, after a hard day’s practice at the Oval, Virat Kohli stepped out to soak in the London shopping experience. Given India’s hectic schedule and frequent overseas visits, he has done this on a few occasions previously – living normally that is.

For any Indian cricketer, touring overseas is always a first step in living a normal life. There is no one to bother you as go around doing what any ordinary person would do – eat, drink, have fun, et al.

This time around, though, Kohli was mobbed by fans who easily identified him. Maybe he will shrug it off as a rare occurrence, or maybe he can blame it on the buzz generated by an ICC tournament (the Champions Trophy starting on June 1).

Adoring fans are the least of Kohli’s problems at the moment though. As India prepares for a mega clash with Pakistan on June 4, the Indian skipper has a fire to douse, that too in his own yard. There is no denying his stature as the most-favoured star in world cricket.

He is the Indian captain, the team’s best batsman, and the bedrock of this country’s foreseeable cricketing future. Is he ahead of the coach too, someone as accomplished as the legendary Anil Kumble? Yes! Quite simply, if this were a pack of lions, then Kohli is the alpha male.

Not that there was any doubt whatsoever, but this was established amply over the course of this long 2016-17 season. Starting in West Indies last July, then against New Zealand and England at home, Kohli stamped his authority across formats with an imposing 2068 runs in 32 innings at an average of 73.85. It included seven hundreds, and four of them were Test double centuries (the most for any Indian skipper) or ‘daddy hundreds’ as he calls them.

This, though, isn’t about the runs alone. Kohli will score his share, at times others’ share as well. He is a batsman beyond par, particularly in the limited-overs’ arena. All of 28 years, with plausibly another decade of international cricket ahead, he is already the greatest chaser in the history of ODI and T20I cricket.

It is a phenomenon unseen before, not even in the days of Sachin Tendulkar. Clad in a blue kit from head to toe, not a thread out of place, protective gear firmly strapped on, and with that all-encompassing blade as an extension of his very being, Kohli’s silhouette is that of a warrior. Only, the battle is at the crease, and not at any war front.

On Sunday, that battle will descend from Edgbaston through the television screens and into our living rooms as India clash with Pakistan. A few years ago, this clash wouldn’t have generated such buzz for the two countries had begun playing regular cricket. Now, with political tensions at an all time high, bilateral series are a non-starter. An ICC event with this arch-rivalry played out in front of the whole world almost becomes a celestial event.

It is also where Kohli comes to the fore, again. Winning against Pakistan in an ICC tournament first began in the nineties as a coincidence. The magnitude of this game made it a habit over the last two decades, and now after an unbeaten run in the ODI World Cups and World T20s, it is time to set the Champions Trophy record (Pakistan lead 2-1 in head-to-head) straight.

In the last two ICC encounters, Kohli has dominated India’s arch-rivals with contrasting shows – 107 runs at Adelaide in the 2015 ODI World Cup and a master-class 55 not out (37 balls) at Kolkata in the 2016 World T20. If the first instance was about putting runs on the board and making it difficult for Pakistan, the latter was all about absorbing intense pressure and etching out a successful chase on the tough Eden Gardens’ wicket.

No batsman that day – Indian or Pakistani – could match how Kohli played both pace and spin, particularly the latter, as the pitch behaved viciously towards the end. Unconcerned, he batted on, in the gaze of billions in this country and millions across the world, almost as if the pressure of this boiling situation didn’t bother him. Very few batsmen have been so calm and collected in such scenarios, and his predecessor is at the top of this very short list.

As cool as he was in long captaincy stint, MS Dhoni didn’t really have to segregate his batting/keeping ability from leadership. He wasn’t the lead batsman of the side; lead finisher, yes, sure. Mostly, that role came into play in the latter halves of innings, with result of the game hinging more on Dhoni-the-batsman than on Dhoni-the-captain. In the field, his vision from behind the stumps only enhanced his control over proceedings.

In comparison, Kohli always has a target painted on his back. It was so against Australia during the four-Test series in February-March. He bought into the opposition’s mind games, for it is in his nature to fight fire with fire. Did it impact his batting? Kohli will say no, but he scored only 46 runs in three Tests (missed the fourth in Dharamsala due to injury). The opposition won, clearly. Who is to say Kohli will not be subjugated in similar fashion when team India begins its long overseas touring schedule later in the year.

As such it puts the current situation in England in context, even as India are preparing to defend their 2013 Champions Trophy crown. Is there even an iota of truth about the differences between Kohli and coach Anil Kumble? Well, there can be no smoke without fire.

Kumble is not a glorious cheerleader in the guise of coach (read Ravi Shastri), nor is he a my-way-or-the-highway taskmaster (like Greg Chappell). At best, he is an authoritative voice with the best interests of Indian cricket at heart. At worst, he is a coach with an alternate personality – and opinion – to that of the captain, one that deserves to be expressed and considered.

The question to ask here is if Kohli – or the BCCI for that matter – really envisages firing a coach who has led the side to 10 Test victories in the past year?

The underlying point is about the Indian skipper choosing his battles more wisely. This saga – with the extent of its damage still unknown – could severely dent any momentum the Indian team has built over the 2016-17 season, and indeed cost back-to-back victories in the Champions Trophy.

The latter – defending a title that Dhoni won – is an important challenge for the Indian skipper. It is his first ICC tournament in command, almost the ushering of a new time period. This is already his era; all it needs is a momentous stamping. In that light, the result here in England will probably shape the future course of this team, at least in the shorter formats.

The need of the hour for Kohli is to mellow down, and to acknowledge that alpha males do not lead ordinary, normal lives.

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