“I told Daniel Vettori (then RCB coach) during the last match (against Mumbai Indians) that I felt like I could hit every ball of Tim Southee’s first over for a six,” a jubilant Virat Kohli exclaimed after Royal Challengers Bangalore’s annual green-jersey fixture against Gujarat Lions in which he hit his third century of the IPL 2016.
Unforgettable days For Virat Kohli
Kohli looks despondent in the year 2022 after toe-ending a pull shot off a bouncer pitched to backward point by Prasidh Krishna. After inside-edging three nip backers in a row and nearly flicking another straight to short square leg’s grasp, he barely reached it to that point of the innings in a scratchy 10-ball stay.
He has made scores of 1, 12, 0, 0, and 9 in his previous five games, and his season average is a meager 16 after nine games. The Virat Kohli of 2016 had a very different body language than the Virat Kohli of today. Kohli’s dropped from his peak in 2016 to his lowest point in 2022.
During the same interview, Kohli revealed his game plan: “I don’t mind playing run-a-ball for the first 20-25 balls if I know I’ll be able to get 40-45 runs in the next 15 balls. In the latter overs, I’m more confident in my abilities to hit sixes or pick gaps for boundaries “.
Kohli’s dip appears to be attributed to his increased exertion having an effect on his mental game. When compared to his peak period from January 2016 to the New Zealand tour, where we saw the first hints of his approaching troubles, his appearances for India have dropped dramatically after the Covid hiatus in mid-2020.
This has come at the expense of fewer IPL appearances, with 54 in the 50 months preceding the hiatus compared to 39 in the last 20-odd months.
Kohli has found himself in quicksand this season, and the harder he tries, the further he sinks. The inherent character of the T20 format is punishing, particularly for batters who are out of form and attempting to fight their way back in.
Now that he feels like hitting every ball for a six, Kohli is certainly thinking about how to avoid the one ball that has his name on it.
Edited By : Khushi Thakur
Published By : Shubham Ghulaxe
