Former India captain Virat Kohli has been struggling to find form in recent times. Having once had a reputation for his uncanny knack of scoring one century after another; Virat’s century drought has extended to a span of almost 3 years now.
Virat Kohli’s recent form has been very uninspiring
Even on the occasions when he has looked in good rhythm, bowlers have found one way or another to breach his otherwise airtight batting technique and send him back to the pavilion. And with every dismissal, there’s a pattern of disappointment and frustration emerging among Kohli and his hyper-passionate fans.
Take, for instance, the recently-concluded test match against England, where Kohli lost his wicket playing an inside edge against Matty Potts in the first innings. This mode of dismissal was in stark contrast to the recent troubles Kohli has had while facing out swinging deliveries, and if anything, adds a new layer of concern to the growing dilemma around Kohli’s future in the team.
A lot of people have suggested that Kohli looks awfully over-burdened and is in dire need of a sabbatical or a break from the game. On his part, Kohli himself has acknowledged that oftentimes, he has felt somewhat overcooked with responsibilities, but simultaneously confessed that it was hard for him to afford to take a break with how packed India’s international cricket calendar is.
“The amount of cricket that I have played, and the ups and downs and the toll that it takes on you to play three formats of the game plus the IPL for 10-11 years non-stop with the seven years of captaincy in between. So to take a break and when to take a break is obviously something that I need to take a call on, but it is only a healthy decision for anyone to take some time off and just rejuvenate yourself mentally and physically”, Kohli told reporters a few months back during an IPL presentation.
Kohli to take a ‘final’ break from the West Indies T20Is: Reports
But from the looks of it, the way things have been going on lately has forced the King to change his course of plans in order to prolong his playing career. As per reports, Kohli has voluntarily asked the Indian selectors to not consider him for the upcoming 5-match T20I series against the West Indies. Furthermore, this will most likely be Kohli’s last ‘break’ from international cricket in a long time, and he has conveyed that he will be available for all series after the West Indies tour.
Virat Kohli has himself asked for a break or rest for the T20I series against West Indies. And he has informed that he will be available for all series after the West Indies tour. (According to PTI)
— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) July 7, 2022
What this effectively means is that Kohli won’t be featuring in any part of the West Indies tour that starts on 22 July. He and several other senior India players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Rishabh Pant, and Mohammed Shami had already been rested from the ODI leg of the tour. But this break from the T20Is means that Kohli won’t be eligible for selection in the T20I team until the beginning of the Asia Cup that is likely to be played in August in Sri Lanka.
It will be interesting to see the consequences should Kohli actually decide to take a break from the West Indies T20Is. As it is, on the basis of his current form, several players are competing with him for a top-order spot in India’s T20I team. So staying out of the game for a prolonged spell of time might have a detrimental effect on his T20I career.