Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra is baffled to note that Virat Kohli is struggling to score runs consistently in the recent past. In fact, in the last two years, Kohli’s average in ODI cricket has been around 53 but he is always compared with high standards which he sets for himself.
Kohli was dismissed after scoring only eight runs in the first ODI against West Indies and looked in a hurry as he played a pull shot on the fourth ball he faced. Subsequently, Kohli didn’t have the right balance while trying to play a cover drive against Odean Smith in the second ODI and got an outside edge to the keeper.
Kohli has been dismissed in a similar fashion on numerous occasions. The talisman scored 18 runs before he was dismissed and the wait for his 71st International hundred continued.
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel, “What is happening with Virat, he didn’t score runs again, I mean I’m not able to understand it – how do you? Obviously, he pays a huge price for his own success because you compare him with his standard but at the moment, you are not measuring him with someone else’s yardstick but the normal yardstick.”
“It’s just not happening, it’s not happening at this point in time. He was in a hurry in the last match but here he was playing properly, coming in line, played a good cut and drive as well. Then one ball comes from Odean Smith and he remains slightly back, the ball takes the outside edge and goes.”
In fact, Kohli has been super consistent especially in the ODI format and thus it has been surprising for a lot of cricket experts. Kohli had scored a couple of fifties in the ODI series against South Africa and had looked in decent touch.
Chopra added that this is a sign of greatness as every player goes through a rough patch in his career.
“This is probably the sign of greatness that you go through spells, there is a time when the runs are not scored. He is going through that patch.”
“I stand with Virat Kohli. I am saying if not now, after a few days, it doesn’t matter if the runs are not coming at this moment. At some stage, he is going to fire, there is no doubt about it.”
The third and final ODI between India and West Indies will be played on Friday at the same venue.
