Virat Kohli scored 341 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 115.98.
Virat Kohli quit as RCB captain after IPL 2021 season and much was expected from him when he arrived in IPL 2022 season after the burden of leadership was lifted from his shoulders.
The talismanic batter, on the other hand, was a shadow of himself, accumulating 341 runs at a low strike rate of 115. He also registered 3 golden ducks in the season as well and made only 2 half-centuries.
While Kohli acknowledged that it was a phase unlike any other in his career, former India cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra believes the batter was simply not himself.
Analysing Kohli's season for RCB, Chopra on his youtube channel, said: "The pain points were that the top three batters just failed to perform. If you see Virat Kohli's year, Virat Kohli was not Virat Kohli. 16 matches, 341 runs at a strike rate of 115. You might have said it is fine even with 341 runs if the strike rate had been around 140."
"Only two half-centuries, that too against just one side. Other than that, he hasn't scored any runs. He reached 48 once and scored an unbeaten 40-odd in the first match but very ordinary season by his standards and by any standards."
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Chopra also commented on Glenn Maxwell's form this season, who was one of RCB's retained players. Maxwell also reached 300 runs, but he did it with a strike rate of 160.
"Glenn Maxwell, on whom you placed a huge bet, 301 runs in 13 matches, it is slightly underperforming but the strike rate is very high, more than 160. He picked up wickets in bowling as well, takes catches as well. But one thing is that if Virat Kohli is not having a gun season, Maxi needs to have an extremely gun season, which didn't happen," he said.
Faf du Plessis, the RCB captain, concluded the season with 468 runs. Chopra, on the other hand, believes that his effort was insufficient for the business to succeed.
"Faf du Plessis - 468 runs in 16 matches. He has the runs; 468 runs are great but this is a team without a single 500-plus score. You might say Gujarat also do not have that but there were three players above 400 there and their main thing was the bowling," said the cricketer-turned-commentator.