Former India skipper Virat Kohli is enduring an extended lean patch with the bat across formats for a while now. After a dismal IPL 2022 campaign for RCB, where he scored only 341 runs in 16 games at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.98, the right-hander is now struggling for runs in the ongoing England tour.
Kohli failed to make a mark in the Edgbaston Test, scoring 11 and 20 across the two innings while he registered scores of 1 and 11 in the T20I series.
The veteran batter was unable to play the first ODI due to a groin injury, and his availability for the second ODI at Lord's on Thursday (July 14) is still in doubt.
Amid the struggles, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has backed Virat Kohli to get back to his scoring ways.
"Of course, look at the numbers he has got in international cricket that doesn't happen without ability and quality. Yes, he has had a tough time and he knows that. He has been a great player himself. He himself knows by his own standards it has not been good and I see him coming back and doing well. But he has got to find his way and become successful, which he has been for the last 12-13 years or more and only Virat Kohli can do that," said BCCI President Sourav Ganguly while speaking to ANI.
After his failures in the T20I series, Kohli come under the scanner and questions were raised over his place in the shortest format by former cricketers, including Kapil Dev, Virender Sehwag, Venkatesh Prasad among others.
"These things will happen in sport. It has happened to everybody. It has happened to Sachin, It has happened to Rahul, it has happened to me, it has happened to Kohli. It is going to happen to future players. That's part and parcel of sport and I think as a sportsman you just need to listen, be aware of what it is and just go and play your game," added Ganguly.
The owner of 70 international centuries, Virat Kohli’s last three-figure mark came way back in November 2019. The 33-year-old badly needs to regain his form or he could find it difficult to make it into the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup 2022, slated to be held in Australia later this year.
(With ANI inputs)
