Virat Kohli deserves more respect and will work his way out of an alarming slump that hit a new low when he was awarded a second consecutive golden duck in IPL 2022, fellow cricket stars say. It will be the first time in the Indian’s stellar career that he has appeared on the opening ball twice in a row, scoring just 119 runs in eight games for Royal Challengers Bangalore this season. Photos of “King Kohli” talking to West Indian great and Sunrisers Hyderabad batting coach Brian Lara went viral on social media after Bangalore’s big loss on Saturday, when they crashed to 68.
Fans reacted enthusiastically to the picture of two greats in one frame, with many believing the conversation would help transform Kohli’s form in the ongoing Twenty20 tournament.
Former Bangalore captain and coach Daniel Vettori thinks 33-year-old Kohli, who is likely to play against the Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, will eventually get back into shape.
“People talk about him being mentally fatigued, but I think he’s better than that, I think he’s bigger than that,” Vettori told ESPNcricinfo.
“I think he will find a way to fight through it and the way is through that aggressive nature.”
The former New Zealand skipper said Kohli needed to go back to his roots.
“I think this is when he turns to his friends, his closest confidants and maybe a mentor from when he was young,” Vettori said.
“I think space is key, and understanding and respect for him as a player,” he added.
One of the best batsmen of the modern game and often the standard-bearer for Indian cricket, Kohli got the first ball from Lucknow Super Giants-pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera, then fell to the swift Marco Jansen with Hyderabad’s left arm.
Jansen, a 21-year-old South African who had caught Kohli’s attention as a net bowler in South Africa in 2018, got his prized scalp with a more angled throw that caught the batter on the second slip.
“If a batsman has played even half a dozen pitches, you notice if his foot moves or if his shot doesn’t come right,” batter Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.
“But if a batsman gets out on the first pitch, I think it’s just the fear.”
The slide
Kohli’s successive golden ducks have made headlines, but statistics suggest his troubles run deeper than that.
His miserable run with the bat has coincided with his stepping down as India’s captain in T20 and Test cricket, as well as being removed as ODI skipper, all in the past seven months.
He has failed to score a century in over 100 matches across all formats.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen said it was only a matter of time before Kohli was back to his best.
“Want a fact? Every major of our game has been through what Virat is going through,” Pietersen tweeted.
“Want another fact? They all come through and deliver on the big stage again.”
Bangalore kept Kohli, who stepped down as captain of the franchise last year, for nearly $2 million, but it was a pay cut for the star player who previously had the biggest IPL annual salary of $2.7 million.
Former India coach Ravi Shastri believes Kohli is “overcooked” because of so much cricket and he should get a break to relieve his “fried brain”.
promoted
Kohli has played 101 Tests, 260 one-day internationals and 97 Twenty20 matches for India since 2008, during which time he has amassed 23,650 runs across the three formats, including 70 centuries.
He is still looking for a first IPL title with RCB.
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