Former West Indies pacer, Ian Bishop has expressed concern over the batting form of Virat Kohli, who is recently finding different ways of getting out to different bowlers in the recent past, adding that the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star’s inability to score at a healthy strike rate is worrying sign. Bishop stressed that he has just made observations of Virat Kohli’s batting struggles in IPL 2022 as he highlighted the lack of intent in RCB’s match against CSK at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Wednesday, May 4.
Virat Kohli played a below-par knock in which he managed 30 from just 33 balls. Kohli took his time even as his opening partner Faf du Plessis kept the scoreboard moving in the powerplay. Kohli played more than 15% of dot balls and the pressure showed as he was involved in the run-out of Glenn Maxwell, who walked in at No. 3 for RCB.
During a recent chat with ESPNCricinfo, Ian Bishop said, “If you’re not getting ahead of the rate and going at a run-a-ball, you need to bat deep into the innings. He didn’t get ahead, and there wasn’t much intent. He hit one [six] over extra-cover off the seamer, and that was when he just went ahead to a run-a-ball, and then he came back.”
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He further added, “And he isn’t going deep into the innings either. So those deliveries don’t come back to you. Even if RCB won, that wasn’t an innings, even given the difficulties of the pitch, that you could say caused a match-winning total.”
Furthermore, Ian Bishop also said Kohli has been dismissed by different bowlers and it has been a worrying sign in the recent past. Notably, Moeen Ali had dismissed Kohli in a similar manner during a Test series at home in 2021 while Roston Chase had gotten him out during West Indies trip to India ahead of the IPL.
Talking about Kohli’s struggles against spin are well-documented, Ian Bishop said, “This is something we’ve been seeing with Virat, not just this season. Even last season, I remember, and even sometimes internationally, he’ll fly out – he didn’t fly out tonight – and then he’ll slow down again. So, I’m concerned. Roston Chase got him out in the West Indies series, we saw him getting out to the off-spinner in Test matches. So, I’m concerned about and I’m a Kohli fan.”
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Ian Bishop concluded, “I tune in to watch cricket when Kohli’s at his best, so it isn’t a criticism but an observation that I am concerned at a number of types of bowlers are getting him out and he’s not getting ahead of the rate.”
