So I saw this big talk online about Virat Kohli maybe hitting some kind of record six in IPL history. Everyone was losing their minds over one massive shot. Got me thinking, could an ordinary guy like me, with basically zero pro training, even come close to copying that power? Figured it was worth a shot, literally. Just wanted to see how far I could actually whack a cricket ball.
Gathering Gear Like a Maniac
First things first, needed stuff. Didn’t own a proper cricket bat. Found my old one buried in the garage next to the rusty bike pump – covered in dust and probably a family of spiders. Gave it a wipe. Still felt like swinging a log. Dug out some tennis balls too, because forget leather balls for my first try, I value my neighbor’s windows.
Grabbed my phone camera rigged up on a wobbly folding chair. Hit the local park. Weather app said sunny, obviously it was windy as heck. Already sweating.
The Practice Phase: Mostly Whiffing Air
Started easy. Tried blocking a few against an imaginary bowler (the fence). Felt okay. Got cocky. Decided to go big straight away. Big mistake.
- Plant feet firmly like Kohli? Check.
- Eyes glued on the ball? Sorta tried.
- Huge swing? Oh yeah, all my might.
Results were pathetic:
- Swing one: Missed the ball completely. Embarrassing.
- Swing two: Toe-ended it. Barely rolled.
- Swing three: Actually connected! Felt great… until it sliced horribly sideways towards Mr. Kumar walking his dog. Had to yell “SORRY!”
After about twenty tries, my arms were noodles. The ball mostly went nowhere fast.
Watching The Master (AKA What Was I Thinking?)
Took a break, feeling kind of defeated. Pulled up Kohli’s supposed monster six on my phone. Watched it ten times. Slow mo. Zoomed in. The difference was painful.
He made it look like flicking a fly. Effortless timing, insane balance, pure flow. Me? More like a stiff plank having a seizure trying to hit a moving target. My swing needed less hulk-smash, more smooth groove. Had to control it.
Attempting Controlled Power (AKA Still Mostly Failing)
Next session. Changed it up.
- Kohli’s high backlift? Copied that stance. Felt weirdly unbalanced.
- Started front foot drives instead of trying to murder it from ball one.
- Worked on a little rhythm thing before each shot. Bit stupid, but helped.
- Stayed still longer. Way harder than it looks when the ball is coming at you.
Started middling some. Felt that solid ‘thunk’ sometimes. Ball started actually moving. Not miles. Maybe… tennis court length?
The Moment (Kind Of)
Later, wind died down a bit. Had one decent drive that felt clean. Decided, screw it, let’s try going vertical again. Proper Kohli style lift.
Threw the ball myself – a high toss. Set my feet quick. Eyes locked on. Kept my head stupidly still. Pulled the trigger.
CRACK.
The sound was different. Sweet spot. Ball launched. Not just along the ground. Up. Kept rising. Couldn’t really track it against the sky. Heard it thud way over behind some bushes past the boundary I set with my bag. Honestly stunned. Sat down feeling my heartbeat going wild.
Walked it off later. Roughly 75 paces. Okay, not IPL distance. Definitely not Kohli distance. Felt huge though. Like, massive-for-me huge. Felt that clean connection deep in my bones. Didn’t need any fancy tech, just my shaky legs and eyeballs.
So… Did I Find Kohli’s Secret?
Nope. Nowhere close. But did I get it? Why hitting a cricket ball truly far looks easy but is pure rocket science?
Hell yes.
It needs crazy coordination under pressure, timing down to milliseconds, core strength I clearly lack, and practice levels bordering on insanity. Just mimicking one shot was exhausting. Kohli making it look routine? Pure witchcraft. My arms hurt just thinking about it. Forget records, hitting it clean felt incredible by itself. Practice ground won this time.
