Despite his team’s hard-fought win over Chennai Super Kings in the most recent match, concerns are growing about former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli’s ability to play fluently in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

In the IPL, Kohli, one of the best batters in the world, is finding new ways to get out to different bowlers. Moen Ali bowled a perfect off-spinner dismissal against CSK, inviting Kohli to go for an expansive drive but getting one to turn in from outside off to hit the stumps.

Seeing Kohli’s inability to defend his citadel against quality bowlers, former West Indies pacer Ian Bishop expressed concern that various types of bowlers are getting the former RCB captain out amid his recent poor form. He went on to say that the star batter’s inability to maintain a healthy scoring rate is also a cause for concern for him and his team.

Virat Kohli, who has been out of form recently, played a laboured knock against CSK’s bowlers, scoring 30 off 33 balls. Even as his opening partner Faf du Plessis kept the scoreboard moving on the powerplay, Kohli took his time. Kohli played 16 dot balls and the pressure showed as he was involved in the run-out of Glenn Maxwell, who walked in at No. 3 for RCB.

“If you’re not getting ahead of the rate and going at a run-a-ball, you need to bat deep into the innings,” Ian Bishop was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo.

However, Bishop stressed that he is not criticising Kohli, but rather highlighting his lack of intent during RCB’s match against CSK on Wednesday at the MCA Stadium in Pune.

“He didn’t get ahead, and there wasn’t much intent. He hit one [six] over extra-cover off the seamer, and that was when he just went ahead to a run-a-ball and then he came back. And he isn’t going deep into the innings either. So those deliveries don’t come back to you. Even if RCB won, that wasn’t an innings, even given the difficulties of the pitch, that you could say caused a match-winning total,” he added.

It is no secret that Virat Kohli has struggled to get runs consistently for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2022. (RCB). Kohli had scored 216 runs in 11 matches, with an average of 21.60 and a strike rate of 111.91.

Many former cricketers have urged Kohli to take a break in order to rest after he has recorded nine consecutive golden ducks, the most recent of which came against the Rajasthan Royals in Pune.

He did, however, score a half-century (58 in 53 balls) against Gujarat Titans, and many former cricketers, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, said it was a much-needed and confidence-boosting fifty for the batter.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri joined the ‘take a break’ bandwagon before his fifty against GT, advising Kohli to withdraw from the IPL 2022 if he wants to extend his cricketing career.

“I think it (a break) is ideal for him because he has played non-stop cricket and has captained the side across all formats. It will be wise of him to take a break. Sometimes you have to draw the balance. This year he is already into the tournament (IPL 2022), tomorrow if push comes to shove and you want to prolong your international career and make a mark there for 6-7 years, pull out of the IPL, for all you care,” Shastri said on sports presenter Jatin Sapru’s YouTube channel.

Bishop is not surprised by Kohli’s struggles against spin, but he believes there is a more pressing issue with the star batter’s recent dismissals.

“This is something we’ve been seeing with Virat, not just this season. Even last season, I remember, and even sometimes internationally, he’ll fly out – he didn’t fly out tonight – and then he’ll slow down again. So, I’m concerned,” he added.

(Inputs from IANS)