A lot has been talked about the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 and all eyes are on Virat Kohli, hoping for a return like none other. The King has suffered a slump for a while now and somehow the lean patch has extended for more than three years, not a usual time for a slender run of events.
As we talk about the trouble of Virat Kohli, the England series was another glaring example of how Kohli has struggled to connect in the line of the off-stump and in an attempt to drive, he has frequently ended up nicking those deliveries to the keeper. In this story, we would take a look at five bowlers who can frequently trouble Virat Kohli in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022.
Check out the list of 5 bowlers who can trouble Virat Kohli in the Asia Cup 2022
#1 Shaheen Afridi
Needless to say, but Virat Kohli troubles against left arm fast bowlers have amped up in recent times and the English series was simply another extension of the woes. He could barely connect the cherries flying across him and anything that wobbled slightly in the line of the off-stump would carry a sharp nick back to the keeper. Afridi bowls a good 145 plus clicks and imagine the cherry flying past Kohli in a cross line with an added bit of bounce. Not really an ideal situation for the King himself.
#2 Haris Rauf
Another Pakistani fast bowler who can skit the ball by a good deal, Haris Rauf can be another tormentor in chief for the Indian run-machine. He is a fine striker of the cherry and can bring about significant movement where Kohli will have to adjust his stance frequently to stay afloat on an otherwise shaky surface in UAE.
#3 Rashid Khan
Even though the Afghan team is still to be announced for the upcoming Asia Cup, Virat Kohli has seemed to be vulnerable against quick spin. Rashid Khan tends to skit the ball with an added zing that glides on the surface like a water-skitting insect. Any delivery in the line of the stumps that keeps straight has troubled Kohli in recent times. If this continues, it won’t be easy for the former Indian captain to face the Afghan leggie, provided they do qualify for the Super Four.
#4 Wanindu Hasaranga
Another leg-spinner and this time from Sri Lanka, who plays in the same team as that of Virat Kohli in the IPL, thereby knowing the possible chinks in the Indian captain’s armour. As IPL progressed through the stages, it was crystal clear that Hasaranga was picking up the necessary traction to hurt the batters exactly in their weak spots. With leg-spin turning at almost 100 kmph, it won’t be easy for Kohli to walk unfazed if Sri Lanka does qualify for the super four.
#5 Mustafizur Rahman
Another couple of ifs doing the rounds, as Bangladesh is still to announce its squad for the Asia Cup and even when they do, it would also depend on the qualification of them to the following level for these two to face. Once again, Kohli is weak against left-arm fast bowlers and it will be everything but easy to face Mustafizur who skits the ball in the corridor of uncertainty on the off-stump, Virat Kohli’s Achilles heel.
