Virat Kohli has set such a high level for himself that during his lull period of almost three years, despite him scoring half-centuries, people thought that he was failing with the bat. These were the words of former India cricketer Pragyan Ojha, who rates Virat Kohli as one of the best modern-day batters.
Virat Kohli suffered one of the poorest runs of form from 2019-2022 in which he was unable to score a single century in any of the three international formats.
Until 2019, the former Indian captain averaged 54.8 in Test cricket, but that figure has since dropped to 49.15. That’s quite the drop. During his slump (2020-22), Kohli averaged 26.2 and failed to register a hundred. He has since healed, though not totally.
Former India spinner Pragyan Ojha commented on Kohli’s remarkable record, stating that even a half-century was considered a failure. Despite his slump, the batsman managed to register six fifties in Tests, three of which came from overseas.
“Greats have had their challenges and overcame them. I’m very sure Virat will always do that; it’s just a matter of time. Virat has set the benchmark so high that even a 50 or 60 looks like a failure for him. That’s just how he’s contributed to the Indian team. It’s just a phase; the way he trains and his work ethic—it’s just a matter of time (before he comes good),” Ojha told InsideSport.
Virat Kohli broke his century drought in the 2022 Asia Cup T20 match against Afghanistan. He went on to register his first Test century since 2019 against Australia in the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and his first ODI century since 2019 came against Sri Lanka at home in 2022.
“I expect him to evolve”- Pragyan Ojha on Virat Kohli’s weakness against left-arm spin
The current Virat Kohli seems to be more chill and having fun on the field. But for some reason, he has developed a chink in his armor. Kohli has shown visible weakness against left-arm spin, especially in Tests.
Since 2020, Kohli has averaged just 30.2 against left-arm spinners in Tests. With Bangladesh visiting India and bringing two left-armers in Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam, it will be difficult for the 28-time centurion to add another ton to his tally.
With Bangladesh coming to India shores in September for two Tests, Pragyan Ojha expects the legendary batter to evolve and get rid of his weakness.
“When you talk about players like Virat Kohli, they’ve played more than a decade of international cricket. There will be a time when there are different challenges, and you’ll need to upgrade yourself. Legends of the game always evolve, and I expect him to evolve,” Ojha said.
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