Ricky Ponting believes that everyone, at some point in their lives, will exhibit poor form. Virat Kohli has had a ten- or twelve-year run with few setbacks.
Virat Kohli, the former India captain, has been struggling with his bat recently. Kohli had a series of poor performances in the recently concluded 2022 edition of the Indian Premier League, averaging only 22.73 in 16 games. Kohli’s wait for a 71st century in international colors continues, with his last three-figure score coming in a Test against Bangladesh in November 2019.
Ricky Ponting analyzes Virat Kohli’s dip in form
Ricky Ponting, a former Australian captain, shared his thoughts on what is really wrong with Virat Kohli. He believes the cause could be a tired body and the player’s mental denial, but also that the Indian ace will not be out for long.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested for the ongoing five-match T20I series against South Africa at home. Both star batters have been struggling for consistency recently and are expected to bounce back after this rest ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
“It (poor form) is going to happen to everyone at some stage. Virat’s probably had a 10 or 12-year run where hasn’t had many down times. But there was a lot of talk and conjecture around the IPL about how tired and burnt out he might be. That’s for him to work out and assess and find ways to improve, whether it’s a technical thing or a mental thing.” Ricky Ponting said.
Despite Kohli’s poor form, many believe it is only a blip on the radar and that a big inning is just around the corner. Since his last century in 2019, Kohli has continued to score consistently in international cricket, with more fifties than any other Indian player. In the same time period, he also scored the most runs for India, with 2478 runs at an average of 37.54 across all formats.
Ricky Ponting believes Kohli is having physical difficulties, but his mind disagrees. He also stated that every cricketer goes through adversity, and he expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to return to form soon.
“One thing I do know from experience is that quite often you bluff yourself as a player that you’re not actually tired, that you’re not physically or mentally tired. You always find a way to get yourself up for training, you always find a way to get yourself up for a game. It’s not until you actually stop and have a couple of days do you realize how tired and fatigued you are,” Ponting added.
