{"id":549,"date":"2025-01-26T13:01:24","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T07:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cricketbyjb.in\/?p=549"},"modified":"2025-05-15T12:17:01","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T06:47:01","slug":"can-virat-kohli-bounce-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cricketbyjb.in\/index.php\/2025\/01\/26\/can-virat-kohli-bounce-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Virat Kohli Struggled in BGT 2024-25"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Virat Kohli, the beloved \u201cKing\u201d of Indian cricket, has struggled in test cricket for a while. His game against spin and pace has taken a hit, and his averages have dipped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His problem, as we all know, is \u2018flirting.\u2019 Unlike Gen-Z, he flirts with off-stump deliveries, leading to his downfall. Is it a technical issue or a mental block?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Virat<\/a>
Credit: India Today<\/figcaption><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Virat Kohli’s Numbers Since 2020<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since 2020<\/strong>, test cricket has been a struggle for Virat. His overall average has dipped, with his yearly average crossing 30 only once in the last five years<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we have a look at his numbers separately, both against spin and pace, his game has diminished over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially since 2020, Kohli’s average against pace has been a miserly < 30 four times<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To understand if this change is due to a technical reason, it only makes sense to go back and have a look at Kohli’s batting technique from back in the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Virat Kohli in his first tour to England & South Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Back in 2013, when Virat went to South Africa, he had great success there scoring a hundred and a fifty. His good run continued in the next couple of months in New Zealand as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then came the infamous England series in 2014, where he scored a mere 134 runs across 10 innings, with Jimmy Anderson exposing his weakness,  getting him dismissed bowling in the corridor of uncertainity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Virat<\/a><\/svg><\/span><\/a><\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Kohli<\/figure>
\n

In the 2013 South Africa series, as seen in the picture here, his bat came from the fourth slip\/gully and he had the back and across movement to the off stump. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With South Africa not offering much swing, he was very confident of playing balls both off the back foot and front foot with this technique.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Then comes the England Series in 2014.  Coming off great success in the previous two tours, Virat Kohli continued to use the same technique. However, he failed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why? He wasn\u2019t aware of where his off-stump was, putting him in a dilemma on which ball to play and which one to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technically, with the bat again coming from the gully region, this time his bat face was slightly opened. His head was falling across to the off-stump and his eyes weren\u2019t straight, both leading him to play inside the line of the ball.<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"Kohli<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Readers may also like: How Dhoni\u2019s batting struggles ended his career<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The English pacers targeted the corridor to Kohli and he poked at deliveries which he could have left and got out many times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also have a Youtube video on this topic so check it out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n