Mumbai: Virat Kohli’s lean patch is getting extended with every game.
Following a run of low scores in international cricket, the former Team India captain has found the going tough in IPL 2022 as well.
Before Thursday’s clash against Gujarat Titans, Kohli had scored just 236 runs in 13 matches. An average under 20, strike rate of 113 and just one half-century – these are figures which don’t do justice to Kohli, who was regarded as the world’s best batsman across all formats not too long ago.
Add three first-ball ‘golden’ ducks in 13 innings, and the miserable story is complete.
Some experts, including former Team India coach Ravi Shastri, have advised Kohli to take a break.
Kohli himself was open to the idea of taking a break from cricket and come back stronger.
“It’s not a lot of people who mentioned it. There is one person precisely who has mentioned it which is Ravi bhai and that’s because he has seen from close quarters over the last six-seven years the reality of the situation that I have been in,” Kohli told Star Sports.
“The amount of cricket that I have played and the ups and downs and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10-11 years non-stop with the seven years of captaincy in between,” he said.
He was not averse to the idea of a mental reset, but he would have to take a call on the timing.
“It is definitely a thing that one needs to consider because you don’t want to do something which you are not a part of 100% and I have always believed in that in my life. So to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on… but it is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically.
Kohli said he still has enough motivation to play international cricket as he wants to help India win two major tournaments this year.
“I know how motivated I will be when the scores start coming… I want to win India the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup; that’s the motivation,” Kohli said.
