If Virat Kohli is not a key figure in the Indian team in the 50-over World Cup in South Africa next year, it will be the team’s loss, not his.

When things came to such a pass that he was no longer a part of the Test set up or the T20 scheme of things, it was difficult to see how he would keep going. One-Day Internationals are the least played of the three formats, and at the international level, you can’t just rock up from a long break and hit your straps. At least that was the thought.