Fans and experts are perplexed with Virat Kohli’s unusually long lean patch, Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Sanjay Bangar is not one among them. The former India batting coach is of the opinion that Kohli is working hard to get back to his fluent best and only needs a bit of luck to come out of the crisis.
Kohli, considered one of the best to have ever held the cricket bat, hasn’t scored a hundred in any format for more than three years now. On Saturday, as RCB folded for an embarrassing 68 against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kohli was out for a first-ball duck. What made it even worse was the fact that he was out for a golden duck in his team’s previous match as well.
It also seems that the former India and RCB captain is struggling to deal with the deliveries which tease him outside the off-stump.
But Bangar refuses to read too much into Kohli’s off-form. “He (Kohli) is somebody who has consistently performed for RCB. Players go through these kind of rough patches. He started the season really well, nearly hit the winning runs in Pune, but then you have an odd run-out or the first edge that finds his bat lands in the fielder’s hands,” Bangar said after Saturday’s game.
“We have all been through it, it is a tough phase for him but he will come back pretty strong.”
Experts such as Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen has advised Kohli to take a break, but Bangar thinks that Kohli’s workload is sorted.
“He is certainly doing everything that is in his control. He is doing his fitness and skills and taking good breaks and not letting the pressure get to him. He has been taking breaks at regular intervals and will continue to do so going forward.”
The 33-year-old has had scores of 41 not out, 12, 5, 48, 1, 12, 0, 0 in RCB’s eight outings this season. Bangar feels all he needs is a bit of luck.
“He’s not letting the pressure get to him, he’s enjoying the skill sessions. He needs a bit of luck to get going… all the dismissals and those first ball, second balls. But I’m sure once he gets going, he’s due for a big one.”
