Indian captain Virat Kohli had an unforgettable tour in New Zealand where he failed miserably with the bat. He managed to score only one fifty out of the 11 innings he batted on this tour. The performance went even downward in the longer format of the game where he suffered a thumping 2-0 defeat against the hosts.
Kohli was completely dominated by the New Zealand fast bowlers in the Tests s they kept targeting the off stump to drag him across and then pinned him in front with the ball which was aimed at the stumps.
Meanwhile, former Indian captain and legend of the game Kapil Dev believes with Kohli turning 30 years old, this could be because his reflexes and his eyesight might have slowed down and hence. Kapil also advised him to go back and practice more against the straight deliveries.
“When you reach a certain age, when you cross 30 then it affects your eyesight. In swings, which used to be his strength, he used to flick them four but now he has been dismissed twice. So I think he needs to adjust his eyesight a bit.”
“When big players start getting bowled or LBW to incoming deliveries then you have to tell them to practice more. It shows that your eyes and your reflexes have slowed down a bit and in no time your strengths turn into your weakness.” he said.
The legendary Indian captain also said that with the IPL coming up, the RCB captain should focus on getting his game back on track.
“From 18-24, your eyesight is at the optimum level but after that, it depends on how you work on it. Sehwag, Dravid, Viv Richards, you name it, all faced similar difficulties in their career. So Kohli needs to practice more. When your eyesight weakens then you have to tighten up your technique more. The same ball which he used pounce on so quickly, he’s getting late on it now. I think IPL will help him. He will start getting the hang of it. He’s a great cricketer, he will definitely realize it himself and make adjustments,” he concluded.
India started off the New Zealand tour with a clinical 5-0 series win in the shortest format of the game including two victories in the super over. But the hosts turned things around in the ODI series where they white-washed the men in blue 3-0. They put even a better show in the longer format of the game as they outplayed India and won the Test series 2-0. After a long tour in New Zealand, the focus now shifts to the IPL for the Indian players.
The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is all set to kick-off on March 29. It will be a big task for Kohli to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) again. He has to prove his worth as his side are yet to win a trophy despite playing in all editions of the tournament.
