Virat Kohli has been rated as one of the best batters in the history of cricket, but the 33-year-old has been struggling off late. In the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Kohli’s stay at the crease didn’t last long as he was dismissed by Dushmantha Chameera for a golden duck.
The duck also marked the 100th consecutive match across formats in which the former RCB skipper has failed to score a century. In the ongoing fifteenth season of the cash-rich league, Kohli had just two 40-plus scores in the last seven innings for RCB.
Clearly, he is struggling with his form, and former India head coach Ravi Shastri reckoned that the Delhi-born cricketer is mentally ‘overcooked’ and needs to take a break from cricket to serve the country for at least 6-7 years.
“I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it’s him,” Shastri said on Star Sports.
“Whether it’s 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it’s after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him, and you don’t want to lose that with a fried brain,” he added.
Former England batter Kevin Pietersen also echoed Shastri’s comments, stating Kohli needs to stay away from the action for at least six months to get his energy back.
“The guy has had so much to deal with, from marriage to baby to media scrutiny and all on his personal life. He is the biggest star on show,” said Pietersen.
“Virat Kohli needs to say ‘cricket boots, for six months, I will see you later’. Turn off social media, go and get re-energised. When the stadiums are full again, you guarantee him a spot in that side for the next 12, 24 or 36 months. Tell him, ‘you’re our guy, we know you’ll deliver for us’. (Kohli) is going to find it very hard to continue delivering now as his brain is completely fried,” he added.
