It's a slump phase for Virat and KCR!

Whether it is cricket or politics or business, everything is performance-based. Perform or perish. If complacency and lethargy envelope you to compound the miseries caused by egoism and cynicism, it pushes you to deep depths of despair. The consequent bad phase would be highly frustrating. If you fail to wriggle out of a prolonged slump, many eyebrows would raise and if you fumble to rediscover the old magic, a lot many tongues would wag. Eventually, you would lose your relevance and would fade away from the scene.

Though it is too early to write them off, I am, like their diehard fans, saddened by the current rough patch of the legendary cricketer and former India Captain Virat Kohli and a stalwart politician and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

Striking a parallel between the behemoths of two dissimilar fields may sound awkward but it is interesting to decipher the imbroglio they are in as well as to look at their future course of action. I am not sure whether they are worried about the bad phase they are going through but I can tell you that these inspiring fighters are capable of bouncing back like the mythological phoenix. Akin to Virat's similar slump in 2014-15, KCR too remained in a shell in 2008-2009 but the duo's phenomenal achievements thereafter created a history of sorts.

Virat's missing magic

The 33-year-old Virat Kohli dominated all forms of cricket in his 14-year-long wonderful international career. A fitness freak and highly ambitious Virat caught the imagination of cricket lovers as the Under-19 World Cup-winning captain. India could find a champion material on March 2, 2008, the day his side defeated South Africa in the finals in Malaysia by 12 runs. Virat never let the world down. The most successful captain, Virat led India to a long stay at the No-1 spot in Test cricket rankings and achieved a first-ever series win against Australia in its backyard. Except in Bangladesh, he scored Test hundreds in and against every country he played.

Virat took his century count to 43 by scoring consecutive hundreds in a one-day international series against West Indies in August 2019 giving an impression that he is all set to break Sachin Tendulkar's records. But he hasn't scored a single ton since November 2019. He played 101 tests and 260 ODIs and scored 8043 and 12,311 runs respectively. Since 2017 Virat led India to 65 wins in 95 matches with an exceptional win percentage of 70.43, the most by an Indian ODI skipper. Virat scored 341 runs in 16 IPL games at a below-par average of 22.73 and two half-centuries this season much to the dismay of his fans world-over.

Virat relieved himself of the T-20 captaincy citing mental workload as a reason in September 2021 but the selectors stripped him of his one-day international captaincy too. The slide began at this point. Virender Sehwag, a dashing batsman, recently said that "this is not the Virat Kohli that we know. This is a different Virat Kohli playing this season. Otherwise, the number of mistakes that he has committed this season, he hasn't done in his entire career."

A very different KCR

KCR is undoubtedly a demi-god for the people of Telangana. However, many former colleagues, who know his personality traits pretty well, don't vouch for his sincerity and reliability. Who cares? But people of Telangana rallied behind him during the Telangana movement. KCR, a shrewd politician, won the hearts of people with his gift of gab and electrifying speeches. Telangana didn't have any alternative than KCR to have led the movement. Intellectuals like Prof Jayashankar too reportedly bore with his manipulative tactics and idiosyncrasies with a single aim of achieving the Statehood for Telangana.

But, KCR's former colleagues unanimously allege that power corrupted him. A good number of his closest friends left him after suffering a great deal of humiliation. Family rule and the proliferation of liquor shops are the two main accusations KCR has to face throughout.

KCR's infrequent visits to the Secretariat are attributed to superstitions but the opposition's propaganda about his habits has come to stay with the public. Civil servants allegedly don't have much say in the administration.

The 68-year-old KCR is known for his off-the-cuff remarks, bellicose attitude, and unplanned populist measures. The very slogan of Telangana 'Neellu-Nidhulu-Niyamakalu' (Water-Funds-Jobs) remains an unfinished agenda even after his two stints as the CM. Many irrigation projects are nearing completion but the huge money diverted to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project proved to be very costly.

Money transfer schemes launched by KCR have had a telling impact on the exchequer. The progress made in sectors like education and health is not at all encouraging. Law and order is also in for sharp criticism. The quality of the cabinet and his attempts to decimate the opposition by roping in the elected representatives are widely discussed. Hyderabad has become the hub for the Pharma world but in IT we are not a match to the neighbouring Karnataka.

The newest State that started its journey with a big purse has now become almost bankrupt and the light at the end of the tunnel is not so bright.

Fund crunch is more troubling the State than ever before. Employees are not getting their salaries on time and the Central government, worried over the worsening financial situation, came up with measures that are suffocating the government.

KCR's love and hate relationship with the Central government, especially Prime Minister Modi, for sure has an impact on the State's development.

Wrong priorities

Instead of focussing on the vexed issues, KCR chose the wrong priorities to work on at a crucial time, according to political analysts.

For instance, KCR's ambition to play a decisive role at the national level is ill-timed and his 'magnanimity' in providing financial assistance to the bereaved families of farmers in North India caused heartburn to many sections of the society.

The large-hearted KCR dared to donate when the State is heading towards overdraft to meet essential expenditures. We can't solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them!

All said and done, it's not happy times for Virat and KCR. Sunil Gavaskar, pained by Virat's dismissal on a golden duck for the third time this season in the just-concluded IPL season alone on May 8, said: "Sitting in the change room, it's not going to get your form back. The more you play, the more chances you have getting your form back."

This suggestion is very useful for KCR too. Being a capable leader who can change the fate of Telangana, KCR should come out of his farmhouse or Pragati Bhavan with a pragmatic approach focusing on the development of the State. The eighth Telangana Formation Day to be celebrated across the State on June 2 provides a great occasion for him to start afresh with renewed energy to win the next election as well as to achieve 'Bangaru Telangana.'

(The author, a PhD in Communication and Journalism, is a senior journalist, journalism educator and communication consultant)

(The opinions expressed in this column

are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of The Hans India)