Can Virat Kohli really pull out of IPL to take a break and recharge? It's not that simple
India Today
IPL 2022: Virat Kohli is struggling for form with nothing going the former RCB captain's way. However, it is unlikely that Kohli will skip the cash-rich T20 tournament to prolong his international career.
Nothing is going Virat Kohli's way in the Indian Premier League 2022. The Royal Challengers Bangalore star has scored just 128 runs in 9 matches at an average of 16, which is his worst performance in an IPL season since the inaugural edition in 2008.
On Tuesday, Virat Kohli had headed into the IPL 2022 match against Rajasthan Royals on the back of two golden ducks. The former captain was promoted to the top of the order to open with Faf du Plessis as RCB dropped Anuj Rawat after they were bundled out for just 68 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous game. In a desperate bid to get the top-order going, RCB gave Virat Kohli back the opening spot where he has excelled, scoring 2759 runs at an average of 43.10, which is well above his career average of 36.
However, the move did not work as Kohli got out for 9 after a laboured stay in the middle. Facing up left-arm pace Trent Boult, Kohli nearly grabbed another duck when he flicked one to the leg-side but the ball fell short of the square leg fielder. Kohli got off the mark with a flick to the mid-wicket boundary and got an inside edge that beat Sanju Samson to the boundary. However, his luck ran out as early as the 2nd over. Kohli fell to a well-directed short ball from Prasidh Krishna for just 9 runs.
The poor form continued and all that Kohli could manage was a 'wry smile. He stared at the pitch for a couple of seconds before taking the long walk back to the dressing room. The Pune crowd, which had come to see the modern-day great get off the poor form, went silent as Kohli looked helpless, seemingly not knowing what else he could do to end his lean patch.
There are worrying signs as Kohli has looked completely out of sorts in IPL 2022. In desperation to get runs, Kohli has fallen while chasing deliveries that are not there to be hit. Not in recent memory has the cricket world seen Kohli struggle as much as he did during his 10-ball stay at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday.
Questions are being asked of Kohli's form in IPL 2022 and the sheer helplessness that has displayed in the middle has promoted experts and former cricketers to come up with different suggestions on how the star batter can end the lean patch. Kohli was seen having a chat with legendary Brian Lara, who is also the batting coach of SunRisers Hyderabad after RCB were bundled out for 68 last week.
Kohli seems to be trying harder and harder. It's a given that the star batter has been putting in the hard yards in the training session. Head coach Sanjay Bangar stressed that Kohli is working hard on his batting at the nets and expressed confidence that his ward will return to form sooner than later.
