Netizens sympathize with ‘unluckiest’ Virat Kohli after trolling on X

Virat Kohli was quick off the blocks against SRH at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, breezing to 32 off only 18 balls. However, he was forced to play risk-free cricket thereafter as RCB lost two quick wickets in the form of skipper Faf du Plessis and Will Jacks.

In his attempts to play a measured innings, the Delhi-born cricketer went into a shell and could only score 19 runs off the following 25 deliveries. Eventually, his defensive approach led to his downfall as he was dismissed for 51 off 43 balls by SRH’s left-arm fast bowler Jaydev Unadkat.

It is worth noting that Virat Kohli wrapped up his knock with a strike rate of 118.6, considered poor as per IPL standards.

In contrast to Virat Kohli, his RCB teammate Rajat Patidar, hit a blistering 50 off just 20 balls. Rajat Patidar’s explosive knock also featured four consecutive sixes off Mayank Markande’s bowling.

Under the circumstances, Virat Kohli’s alarming dip in strike rate angered former India captain Sunil Gavaskar who was in the commentary box at the time of the 35-year-old batter’s innings.

The 1983 World Cup winner suggested that the talismanic batter should have been more aggressive in his batting approach as RCB had some good players to follow him in the batting order.

“It’s just been singles, singles and singles from Kohli. There is [Dinesh] Karthik to come; there is [Mahipal] Lomror to come. You’ve got to try and take a few risks now. Look at Patidar. He had already hit three sixes in that over. If he wanted, he could have taken a single or left the ball for a wide. But no, he went for it because the opportunity was there,” A fuming Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

“That’s the approach RCB now need. Yes, Kohli has played and missed; it’s not easy, because when you’ve been in your shell, you’ve just been working the ones, suddenly to connect is not going to be easy. But that is what Kohli needs to do; needs to attempt. He has got to attempt the big shots now,” he added.

“In the middle, he just seemed to have lost touch. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but I think from 31-32 to the time he got out, he did not hit a boundary. So at the end of the day, when he got out when you are facing the strike in the first ball of the innings and you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, you have got strike rate of 118, that’s not what your team expects from you,” the legendary cricketer explained.

Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja was also critical of Virat Kohli’s innings, stressing that the former India captain seems to be adamant about playing a certain way.

“When Virat Kohli started, he looked to be in a different mood altogether. When he scored some 24 off the first 11-12 balls, we felt RCB did what SRH had been doing to other teams. But the main difference between SRH and RCB is that when RCB got ahead, they slowed down. Maybe they weren’t aiming that high,” Ajay Jadeja said on Jio Cinema.

“Talking about Kohli’s consistency is like explaining the existence of the sun. The moment the Powerplay ended, he slowed down. It could be because RCB lost two wickets, maybe. Sometimes, it looks as if RCB are very adamant about their roles. DK will always come out at the end. And in doing that, RCB pull the hand-brake,” he elaborated.

Joining Sunil Gavaskar and Ajay Jadeja in their negative assessment of Virat Kohli’s knock were netizens online, who labeled the RCB batter “Chokli” – an acronym often used to mock the 2011 World Cup winner on social media.

Meanwhile, others shared hilarious memes and sarcastic comments to mock him on the microblogging site. A few even described his knock as the “worst” of his career.

Nonetheless, this isn’t the first time Virat Kohli has been slammed for his slow batting in matches. In fact, a section of social media has often alleged that he is a “selfish” player who only plays for personal milestones.

That’s why, he never shows intent on the field and rather sticks to a well-drafted manual while batting in the middle overs.

Despite severe criticism of his strike rate in the IPL, the RCB superstar retains his position on top of the list of batters with the most runs in IPL 2024.

Virat Kohli has made 435 runs in nine games, including a record-extending sixth hundred and three fifties in the current edition of the competition.