These are hard times for Virat Kohli. It’s more than two years since he scored an international century, adding to that the personal setbacks that he received in 2021. Captaincy taken away, poor finish at the ICC T20 World Cup, what do you need to have a bad year? And here he was scoring a couple of forties in the first two games at the IPL 2022, and then it all came to a crashing halt. On Saturday against Sunrisers Hyderabad he was out for his fifth golden duck; fans and pundits all alike were convinced that this is not a fluke. This was serious bad form.
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Against Marco Jansen, who got him out with a brute of a ball, he had struggled in South Africa as well. This time he was beaten by the pace and the movement that was on offer. The ball kissed his bat and went to Aiden Markram who was expertly kept at slips. This was a golden duck, his fifth golden duck in IPL. Several former cricketers came out and reasoned what’s wrong with Kohli.
“When a batsman is getting out on the first ball, it’s very difficult to analyze what’s going on. If a batsman has played even half a dozen deliveries, you notice whether his foot is moving or his batting is not coming right. But when a batsman gets out on the first ball, I think it’s just the anxiety. The anxiety to put the bat to the ball and get going… and the best thing would be the openers doing a very good job. At the moment, he’s got out in powerplay. So maybe if the openers can bat for six-eight overs, it might be a slightly different thing,” Gavaskar told host broadcaster during the innings break.
You want a fact?
Every single great of our game has been through what Virat is going through.
Want another fact?
They all get through it and deliver on the big stage again…
— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) April 23, 2022
Meanwhile his good old friend Kevin Pietersen backed him, saying that Kohli is going through a bad patch, but it has happened to every other great cricketer. “You want a fact? Every single great of our game has been through what Virat is going through. Want another fact? They all get through it and deliver on the big stage again…” he tweeted.
RCB, who were folded for just 68, lost by nine wickets as SRH chased down the total with 72 balls remaining.
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