Asia Cup 2022: Virat Kohli is out of form but India have reasons to stay relaxed ahead of Pakistan clash
India Today
Asia Cup 2022: Virat Kohli has got out to left-arm fast bowlers plenty of times, but Pakistan don't have one with Shaheen Shah Afridi already being ruled out.
Virat Kohli’s indifferent run of form has been a hot topic for discussion over the last few months. More so, because he hasn’t scored a century since India’s historic Test match against Mominul Haque’s Bangladesh at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
After he got to fast bowler Ebadot Hossain in the first innings, centuries have eluded the batter from Delhi. Leave alone hundreds, Kohli has strained to even cross single-figure scores of late. India’s tour of England earlier this year wasn’t a pleasant one for Kohli either.
He got plenty of starts, played his trademark shots with precision, but failed to carry on and get substantial scores under his belt. Moreover, he hasn’t played any cricket during this while when India toured Zimbabwe and the West Indies for bilateral series.
Kohli is expected to take the field when India lock horn with Babar Azam’s Pakistan on Sunday, August 28 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. The Men in Blue will be looking to make amends, especially after their 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan last year at the same venue.
While it remains to be seen if Kohli can score big in the high-voltage clash, his numbers against the Men in Green are worth envying. The 33-year-old is India’s leading run-scorer in T20Is against Pakistan. From 2012, Kohli has played seven matches in which he scored 311 runs at an average of 77.75 and a strike rate of 118.25 with three half-centuries to show for his efforts.
His unbeaten knock of 78 came in the T20 World Cup 2012 at RPS in Colombo, where India won by eight wickets with 18 balls left. Even last year, Kohli scored a spectacular fifty with India being under pressure, although it eventually came in a losing cause.
