Virat Kohli’s below-par run with the bat in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season has been one of the talking points. Playing his first season as a specialist batsman after 9 years, Kohli was expected to do the heavy lifting and play a key role in the team’s success under a new captain.
But the former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain is struggling for runs and has only managed 129 runs in 9 matches at 16.00. Kohli has breached the 10-run mark on only 4 occasions and hasn’t scored a half-century yet. His below-par run has had an impact on the team’s performance as well and RCB are now at the 5th spot in the points table.
Despite his struggles, there’s no doubt over Kohli’s spot and he is a permanent member of the playing XI. Amid Kohli’s struggles, former India and RCB pacer RP Singh has shared his take on his former captain. Speaking to Cricbuzz, Singh opined that RCB will look at resting Kohli if he flops for one or two matches. “Team management and Kohli are both trying, it is not like they are not. But he is far away from hitting good form. If he flops for one or two matches, RCB will look at resting him, give him a break,” he said.
The team management changed Kohli’s batting position and promoted him to open the innings in their previous fixture against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Tuesday (April 26). Kohli kicked off the proceedings with a boundary but didn’t look comfortable after that. He was dismissed for 9 off 10 by Prasidh Krishna.
After suffering two back-to-back defeats, the team management isn’t expected to rest Kohli as he is an integral member of the team and can single-handedly win matches for the team.
The Faf du Plessis-led side will next face Gujarat Titans on Saturday (April 30). This will be the first time when the two teams will square off in the T20 league.