Virat Kohli struggling for consistency

Former India captain Virat Kohli has been struggling to find consistency at the international level. He ended the campaign against England with only 31 runs, scoring only 11 and 20 in the fifth test against England at Edgbaston and failing to register even a single half-century.

Kohli started with nine deliveries to get off the mark. When Kohli played 15 balls, it seemed like he would save the team in a clear 260-run chase, which saw Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma get dismissed easily.

During the second ODI, however, Kohli looked to be unsettled by all the big-hitting, capitalising on a disappointing fall in the final session to fall to 16-. It’s officially Kohli’s fourth-worst record in the ODI series after previously managing only the 50- event format against Pakistan back in 2012. His beautiful strokeplay within the second ODI could not avoid India from losing the game.

This has become a serious concern among fans. Many believe he should take a bit of a rest while others have called for him to be dropped out of the national team for the T20 World Cup.

He may have been rested for both three ODIs and five T20Is series in the upcoming tour of West Indies, but Kohli has to be back on form for the 2022 Asia Cup next month.

Morale boost

Many believe that Kohli will improve, including rival and Pakistani skipper Babar Azam.

“this too shall pass. Stay strong #viratkohli,” Azam wrote on Twitter. Aza, said he understood Kohli’s situation. In the post-match press conference against Sri Lanka, the Lahore-native revealed his reason behind the tweet.

“Definitely. See, as a player myself, I know you can go through such a phase (out of form). I also know what a player goes through in such a phase and how can one come out of it. In those times, you need support.” Azam said.

“As a player, I just tweeted thinking that it will give just some support. He is one of the best players. He is playing a lot (of cricket) and he knows how to come out of these situations. It takes time, if you back players, it will be really good.”

Azam is not the only big figure to have expressed support for Kohli. There are also India skipper Rohit Sharma, England’s Jos Buttler, and Australia’s Usman Khawaja.

Kohli missed the first ODI against England due to a groyne strain. He was dismissed for a 25-ball 16 in the second ODI. The game ended with India losing by 100 runs. The latest one was suppposed to be redemption for him to prove his worth, but England did not seem to read the script. The New Delhi-born batsman had still one opportunity left when India faced England on the decider at Old Trafford.

The last time Kohli scored a half-century in an ODI was against South Africa in Cape Town. He scored 65, with a 98-run partnership for the second wicket. Unfortunately, India went on to lose by four runs.