Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) senior batter Virat Kohli once again flopped with the bat in the Qualifier 2 of IPL 2022 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on May 27 at Narendra Modi Stadium.
Kohli was dismissed for only 7 runs in the second qualifier of IPL 2022, as RCB’s dreams of playing in the final were shattered with a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of RCB on Friday in Ahmedabad. In the second over of RCB's innings, Kohli handed a simple catch to RR wicket-keeper and captain Sanju Samson while chasing a short and wide delivery of Prasidh Krishna. Kohli amassed only 341 runs in his 16 outings in the IPL.
Following his failure in the crucial match, former England captain and commentator Michael Vaughan suggested Kohli to take a break from the game to get back in touch with the bat.
Michael Vaughan said on Cricbuzz: “He is a legendary player who is going through a phase that is not too easy. Two or three years ago you just turned on the telly or arrived at the ground and knew that Virat was going to score a hundred. He just went through one of those periods where every time he batted he seemed to get a hundred. It's a career, isn't it?”
The former batter continued, “You don't go through your whole career where everything is so easy. He just needs a breather. Go and get some time with your family, get on the plane to England and then start to hit some balls again.”
Playing a lot of cricket also took a toll on Kohli, said Vaughan. He added: “These players have played so much and they are under so much pressure every day of their lives that it is inevitable that eventually, you go through a period where you struggle a little. He is too good a player not to bounce back and he will have one of those periods again which we saw a few years ago where he got so many centuries.”
Vaughan signed off by saying, “It is just that little bit harder at the minute and he has got to work so hard to get back into form. But I think at the minute, he should just pack his bat into his bag and go and a sit-down with the family. I don't know where he can go without getting hassled and pestered, doing commercials. Just get away from all that, have a few weeks of chilling and he will be fresh when he picks the bat up.”
