Indore, Jan. 20 -- Not too long ago, when Virat Kohli was searching for runs, advice began pouring in from all kinds of places. On air, Sunil Gavaskar brushed aside one such suggestion with bluntness. The idea that Kohli should alter his backlift and instead, angle it towards third man, was "nonsense", he said. Kohli had built his legend batting straight, trusting the full face of the bat, and certainly, his technique needed no late-career reinvention. And now with almost every outing in ODIs, he is showing why he was right to stick to his guns. The 37-year-old right-hander's 124 off 108 balls in the third ODI against New Zealand came in a losing cause, but it carried the unmistakable stamp of clarity. The bat still came down straight. The wrists were still magical. This Kohli was different yet distinctly similar to the original. What had definitely shifted was the urgency with which he stepped into the contest. Since the South Africa series, Kohli has quietly recalibrated his early-innings template. In his first 10 balls, he has struck at 104, finding a boundary every six deliveries. In the months following the World Cup and before that tour, those same first 10 balls came at a strike rate of just 60.71, with a boundary every 11 balls. By the time the New Zealand series arrived, Kohli had already reclaimed his space in his most dominant format. He finished the South Africa series as its leading run-scorer and followed it with a composed 93 in the opening ODI against New Zealand. So when India walked out for the decider on Sunday, the spotlight settled on him almost by habit. Kyle Jamieson tested him early with a short ball outside off. Kohli rocked back and pulled it over deep mid-wicket for six. Shubman Gill, who had looked equally fluent had taken Jamieson on in the first over, soon fell to a delivery that came back in, brushing pad before knocking his off stump. Kohli's response was assured. No pause, no reinvention. Against Zakary Foulkes in the very next over, he leaned into a drive, the straight bat pushing the ball past mid-off. Jamieson returned full and straight but Kohli shuffled across and whipped him through mid-wicket. During his partnership with Harshit Rana, that energy became infectious. Kohli scampered twos, launched sixes, egged Rana on and soaked in the "Kohli, Kohli" chants that reverberated at the Holkar Stadium as New Zealand briefly lost their grip. For that brief window, it didn't seem like the events preceding it had happened at all. You'd think India were in the driver's seat. That's the effect Kohli tends to have on its fandom. When Jamieson's spell ended, India needed 68 from seven overs. The asking rate had dipped under 10. Two more fours off Clarke dragged it down to 46 off 28. For a moment, the chase felt real. It looked possible. Until he went for the lofted off-drive that Daryl Mitchell gobbled up at long off. The miracle wasn't to be. He looked disappointed but not distraught. Usually angry at himself, harsher than any of his critics, he takes the blame upon himself. But this time, he looked detached yet assured. He has chased down totals, fallen short, carried teams, and watched others finish the job. Perhaps what stands out now is the calm, a player no longer burdened by expectation, only engaged with the moment. At 37, playing only the ODI format, this feels like a Kohli unburdened from tomorrow. Current social media trends about 2026 being the new 2016 carry more truth than nostalgia. The hunger is familiar, but it comes with.a calmer, sharper version of himself. His hundred did not change the result. But it did something else - it offered a template. As others on the wrong side of 35 search for ways to extend their stay, Kohli's innings delivered a quiet message - trust what brought you here. The questions around Kohli were answered long before he reached three figures. For many others, his innings only made them louder....