Former India batsman Virender Sehwag has said that Virat Kohli let his fans down with his poor performance during the second Qualifier against Rajasthan Royals.
The Royal Challengers Bangalore star once again failed to deliver with the bat as Royals crushed his side by 7 wickets to storm into the final of the competition. Kohli started his innings well by hitting a lovely six off Trent Boult in the first over.
But in the very next over, he played a poor shot and returned to the pavilion for just 7. The right-handed batsman once again poked at a delivery outside off stump and ended up giving an easy catch to the wicketkeeper.
The latest failure has brought an end to Kohli’s dismal campaign in IPL 2022. In 16 games this season, he scored 341 runs at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.99. Kohli was also out for duck thrice in the competition.
‘This is perhaps some other Virat Kohli this season’:
Following RCB’s departure from IPL 2022, Virender Sehwag gave his verdict on Virat Kohli’s performance this season. The legendary batsman did not mince his words as he said that the star batsman disappointed his fans by failing in the big match.
Sehwag spoke about Kohli’s poor form and struggle while also stating that the former RCB skipper has looked like a shadow of his usual self.
“When you are out of form, you are just trying to middle every ball to get confidence. In the first over, he did let go of some deliveries, but this is exactly what happens when you are not in form, you go chasing after balls. Sometimes luck favours you, the ball does not catch the edge of your bat. But it did not happen this way. This is not the Virat Kohli we know; this is perhaps some other Virat Kohli this season,” Sehwag told Cricbuzz.
“The number of mistakes he has made this season, he probably has not made as many in his entire career. When you are not scoring runs, you try to do different things and then you are dismissed in different ways. This time, Virat Kohli has been dismissed in all the ways possible. He could have possibly let go of that ball or he could have gone hard at it. He disappointed his fans and RCB fans, it was such a big match,” he added.
Talking about the game, the Royals beat RCB by 7 wickets to set up a final date with Gujarat Titans. Jos Buttler starred with the bat, scoring an unbeaten century to help his team chase down 158 with ease.