There was a time when Virat Kohli used to churn out runs with utter ease. His motor was up and running right from the first ball, creaming the ball through the covers, flicking it nicely, comfortably through mid-wicket before he’d up the ante with subtleness.
From a time when Virat Kohli barely even got out for single digits, when a century was normal for the talisman batsman – to now when he has registered two consecutive golden ducks!
Kohli had had an ordinary start to his IPL 2022 season – recording scores of 41*, 12, 5, and 48. The signs of a big knock were there: he had looked good, especially in the 48 vs Mumbai Indians. Fans were expecting the 32-year-old, who had stepped down as RCB’s captain and India’s captain in the last year, to return to his beast form.
He didn’t. Instead, it seems to have gotten even worse for ‘King’ Kohli. He managed 1 in 3 balls vs Chennai Super Kings, followed by 12 runs in 14 balls vs Delhi Capitals. And then came the nightmare: golden duck vs Lucknow Super Giants, and another golden duck, vs Sunrisers Hyderabad.
From a time when the bowlers would be wishing to just not leak runs against Kohli, let alone think to dismiss him, pitch it on length, keep him on his toes, do not give him a full ball to come on the front foot. To now – when a young Marco Jansen pounced on Kohli’s dismal form and confidence, invited the RCB batter to drive with a full ball, knowing Kohli is at his most vulnerable he’s ever been in white-ball cricket, and gets a nick.
2016 season: 973 runs, average of 81, strike rate of 152. 4 centuries, 7 half-centuries. After that, although he couldn’t replicate the same numbers, Kohli scored over 400 runs in each of the last four seasons.
Come to the IPL 2022: 8 innings, 119 runs, average of 17 (this is Kohli’s worst season average since 2008 when he averaged 15). No half-century yet.
Renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle, who is known to have a way with words, put out the perfect tweet describing Kohli’s astonishing dip in form and numbers.
Harsha Bhogle tweeted: “The games that life plays with the mightiest. #Virat.”
Here, check out the commentator’s tweet on Virat Kohli after his dismissal vs SRH
The games that life plays with the mightiest. #Virat.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 23, 2022
