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You only realize that the world is perfectly imperfect when the finest pedigree of caliber starts to get doubted. Failure is an inherent part of any athlete’s life. But the professionals are believed to have a possible way out, keeping that deadbeat within the certain limits. But unfortunately for Virat Kohli, the drought at the highest level has been prolonged to an inconceivable extent.
Yes, the same Kohli who grinded the very best of the bowling attacks in the world. Scoring runs for fun in varying conditions. Consistency, Class, and valor defined him regardless of the format he was in. Assembling 70 centuries in around a decade perfectly sums it all.
Why is Virat Kohli’s form getting questioned?
Pick any chart indicating the all-time batting records, you will find Virat somewhere in there. He holds countless records spread across the three formats of the game, though mentioning all of them.
The right-hander currently averages 58.07 & 51.5 in ODI and T-20 format respectively. With an average of a tad under 50 in the longer format, 49.95 precisely. With an international career that spans over 14 years, these numbers are nothing but gigantic.
The answer to the original question is simply present there. When you set the bar so high up there. Expectations are compelled to grow proportionally too. A lean patch, in fact, an extended lean patch after monumental three years of top-notch display from 2016 to 2018 where he assembled 29 hundreds and 32 fifties in 140 innings, surely do bring in questions wrapped in a layer of fear.
A stylish 136 against Bangladesh in the pink ball test played at Eden Gardens Kolkata in November 2019, and deafening silence afterward as far as the centuries are concerned. The strive for the 71st ton now ages over a span of 71 unsuccessful tries in a period of two and half years.
The concerns intensify seeing the horrid times Virat is facing in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League. The right-hander managed a paltry sum of 128 runs in the 9 outings he had at a dismal average of 16 and strike rate of 119.
Prominent Reasons Behind Virat Kohli’s Decline:
A downward spiral in performances is naturally followed by diminishing confidence. A more so, in the Indian batter’s case due to the enormous amount of expectations that are allied with him.
(IMAGE CAPTION: Virat Kohli was stripped of his captaincy from all formats in late 2021)
A challenger like him is even feeling the pinch of tremendous aspirations. Every time he walks out, millions are hoping that he will leave all the miseries behind, another tremendous misery itself, isn’t it?
The former Indian cricketer and a renowned commentator these days, Aakash Chopra reflected quite indifferent thoughts when inquired about the right-hander:
“Virat Kohli is living a nightmare, for some the nightmare gets over, the bad times get over. This nightmare is unfolding in front of millions of people. It is tough being Virat Kohli right now. Period. The kind of attention that he gets”
The captaincy fiasco didn’t help the already shaken confidence of India’s main man. Kohli was removed from the ODI captaincy, soon after his desire to leave the T-20 captaincy at the end of World Cup 2021. Colliding statements emerged from the captain and the board chairman Sourav Ganguly, indicating a lack of communication.
Furthermore, he shockingly decided to step down from Test captaincy, after a series loss against South Africa despite having a terrific overall record of 40 wins in the 68 games he led the Indian side. Certain quarters specify that the former Indian captain wasn’t too pleased with the decision of sidelining him from the ODI captaincy.
Also Read: Kohli’s Test average falls below 50 for the first time
The biggest aspect of his downfall is probably the lack of intent to remerge from the point of weakness. A characteristic that was strongly associated with him from time to time. Getting caught behind 9 times, from World Test Championship final onwards in foreign conditions, more or less in similar fashion sheds light upon this very fact. In short, that hunger seems missing somewhere.
All and all, Virat Kohli is currently finding himself in a dark corner. Gloominess outside with a ray of hope somewhere lost inside.
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