Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen on Friday (22nd April) explained why Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are struggling to score runs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.
The IPL 15 so far has seen many staggering performances with the bat. Many youngsters and seasoned players have displayed great skills and have made their team win. However, the spectators are yet to witness fireworks from the bat of two stalwarts of Indian cricket - Rohit and Kohli.
It’s fair to say that the duo has struggled and looked completely out of touch. While Rohit has scored 114 runs in 7 matches at an average of 16.29, Kohli has 119 runs to his name at an average of 19.83 in the same number of games. Notably, they both scored ducks in their team’s last encounter.
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In his column for Betway, Pietersen said that the likes of Kohli, Rohit and Jonny Bairstow need the break as they play all formats and are in the bio-bubble for a long time. He cited the example of Jos Buttler to explain the same.
"Whereas Jos Buttler benefitted from a break during England's Test series in the West Indies, you've had the likes of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jonny Bairstow playing all formats and living in bubbles for months on end,” Kevin Pietersen said.
He argued that it's the BCCI's moral responsibility to relieve "world-class" talents like Rohit and Kohli from the constant pressure by giving them adequate breaks.
"That is not any way to maximise world-class talent. They've churned out money for their boards by fulfilling most matches in every format in the last couple of years and, as star players, they are under constant pressure with millions of people watching them,” he said.
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The former English cricketer said that even as a commentator his schedule is hectic for players. He explained how difficult it would be for players who have been jumping bio-bubbles for a long time.
"The cricket schedule is crazy. Even as a commentator, I’m working flat out. But, clearly, I’m not under the pressure that these guys are,” he said.
Pietersen said that Kohli and Rohit need a six-month break to clear their head and it’ll do a lot of good for them.
"Honestly, I think these guys need a six-month break. Getaway to the US, to London, to wherever elsewhere travel is unrestricted. Clear your head, come back and rack up the runs again. It's unrealistic, but it would do some of these guys the world of good," he said.
(Betway Inputs)
