Royal Challengers Bangalore have won five out of the seven games so far, but that does not mean they have had a smooth ride so far. And the biggest glitch in their system is the biggest name on their roster — Virat Kohli.

The former captain started the IPL 2022 on a confident note, stroking a 41 not out. But, he has scored only 78 runs from the next six innings. Will Kohli get back to form on Saturday, when RCB take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai?

Experts have observed that Kohli might be “overcooked” or that his “brain is completely fried”, but whatever might be the reason for the former India captain’s lean patch, RCB will desperately hope that their best batsman gets back among runs quickly.

Without Kohli’s assurance in the batting line-up, RCB look poorer despite some of their batters being in good form. Captain Faf du Plessis has looked smart at the top of the order, while the likes of Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed have delivered lower down. Glenn Maxwell too has been playing his shots confidently. But all that would add up to a really strong batting unit only if Kohli bats like Kohli again.

RCB would do well not to expose their weak points in batting on Saturday because the Sunrisers bowlers have been on a song. The Hyderabad team, who have turned their campaign on track by winning four games on the trot after two losses to start with, mostly bank on their pacers. Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s experience and the fearsome pace of Umran Malik have served them well. And left-armer T. Natarajan’s accuracy acts as a bridge between the two. Sunrisers captain Kane Williamson has no worries with his batting unit either.