When Virat Kohli takes the field in the Asia Cup (Au 27 to Sept 11) in the UAE to resume unfinished business with Pakistan's Shaheen Shah Afridi and Co., it would be six weeks since his last India outing. The discourse around Kohli would usually be about what he could add to his past exploits against the arch-rivals. Promos calling for ‘revenge for the 2021 T20 World Cup loss’ would be played in our living rooms with a chiselled image of Kohli. But even diehard Kohli fans are now aware of his batting slump, to varying degrees across formats for over two years.
Virat Kohli in action for Team India. (Action Images via Reuters)
Kohli’s career record spanning 14 years is so rich that even the extended lean run cannot smear it. A look at his career statistics and that throws up the next approaching landmark--the Asia Cup opener against Pakistan will be his 100th T20I. His 3,308 runs make him the third highest run-scorer in T20Is. His strike rate still reads a respectable 137.66 in a format he no longer seems infallible.
But T20 algorithms have advanced enough to remind everyone why Kohli has a lot of catching up to do with little time left; the World Cup in Australia is only two months away. Kohli’s last T20I innings, in which he lasted six balls, against England was a revealing 0-1-0-4-6-OUT. A four, a six stepping down the track, yet he followed it up with an advance from the crease that did not go to plan. That was Kohli buying into India’s idea of peak T20 cricket. ‘A team which looks for 190 even after being 10/3,’ in Hardik Pandya’s words.
The tricky part is Kohli hasn’t batted this way, and didn't find much success when he tried it in the past. He will be expected to adopt the aggressive approach in the Asia Cup. Experts believe he could have used the just-ended five T20Is against West Indies to sharpen and master the more aggressive brand of cricket India are now playing.
But only Kohli would know the extent to which burnout has contributed to his loss of form. He had decided not to use the upcoming Zimbabwe ODIs, which could have served as a platform to end his run drought.
The selectors, team management and BCCI have all agreed to allow Kohli time to regain form. His presence in the Asia Cup suggests he is on course to taking the flight to Australia for the October-November World Cup.
VIRAT VS THE REST
Indian cricket has been on an experimental expedition after their premature exit from last year’s T20 World Cup. The new T20 philosophy is that nobody owns a batting number, although skipper Rohit Sharma does and he will open. Kohli looks best suited at No 3. In his absence, Deepak Hooda has made strong claims, striking 196 runs in 4 innings at one-drop at a strike rate of 166. He seems to have pipped Shreyas Iyer in the pecking order, making a compelling case before the selectors with his all-round show.
But the Virat vs the rest selection narrative holds fort only until that one good innings from him. Will one imposing innings see him rise again and flip the argument around his T20 shortcomings? Or, is there merit in advanced T20 metrics, where Kohli appears to be falling short–slow off the blocks and scoring in more conventional areas.
Kohli has made light of debate around his form and future. "My main aim is to help India win the Asia Cup and the World Cup, and for that, I am ready to do anything for the team," he told Star Sports before the Asia Cup team was picked.
By taking time out rather than battling on, he has taken a calculated gamble. Kohli’s form will only add more zing to the India-Pakistan tie.
Rasesh Mandani loves a straight drive. He has been covering cricket, the governance and business side of sport for close to two decades. He writes and video blogs for HT.
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