Virat Kohli was dismissed cheaply against the Rajasthan Royals [P/C: iplt20.com]
Aakash Chopra has expressed his frustration over Virat Kohli enduring another failure in last night’s IPL 2022 encounter between the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR).
Kohli managed just nine runs off 10 deliveries before getting dismissed while playing an ungainly shot. RCB were bowled out for 115 while chasing a 145-run target, losing the match by 29 runs.
While reviewing the RCB-RR match in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra was dismayed by Virat Kohli’s continued poor run with the bat. He said:
“Why does this grief not end? When will Kohli score runs? Because Kohli is a feeling, we are all having an empathy for him in these bad times. Stop it yaar, we are not able to bear it now. Please get some runs on the board. Neither did he score runs, nor did RCB win.”
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted the torrid time Kohli has gone through in IPL 2022 thus far. Chopra elaborated:
“Nothing is working out. He got first-ball ducks in the last two matches and here got out after the ninth ball. He has been dismissed within the first 10 balls six times this year. Nobody has been dismissed more times.”
Virat Kohli has been dismissed for less than 15 runs in seven of his nine innings in IPL 2022 so far. His last five innings have yielded a mere 22 runs.
“It seemed there was no middle in the bat but only edges” – Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli’s knock against RR
Virat Kohli was trying to play an attacking shot of almost every delivery [P/C: iplt20.com]
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Virat Kohli almost seemed like a cat on a hot tin roof during his knock against the Royals. He explained:
“In this encounter, it seemed there was no middle in the bat but only edges, either it was hitting the inside edge or the outside edge and eventually the ball hit the bottom edge and he got out.”
While highlighting that Kohli could have taken his time in yesterday’s encounter, the 44-year-old also painted a gloomy picture for RCB. Chopra observed:
“You were chasing a small total. You were not required to run fast here, 144 are not too many runs. Kohli used to walk such run chases but it is not happening now. Neither Kohli is able to do it, nor is RCB. They were bowled out for 68 in the last match and here for 115. The situation is very bad.”
RCB are currently placed fifth in the IPL 2022 points table. Although they have the same points as the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), they have a much inferior net run rate and fewer games in hand.
