“He is not in practice,” Basit Ali criticizes Virat Kohli’s inability to play spin well
Basit Ali noted Virat Kohli and his LBW dismissals against spin in the Sri Lanka ODI series, hinting at possible lack of practice.
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Basit Ali, Virat Kohli (Via X)
Virat Kohli is back on the cricket field after a one-and-half-month hiatus. He won the T20 World Cup for the first time in his career when India lifted the cup in 2024. However, he announced his retirement from the format after the tournament and hence, was not present in the T20I series vs Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
Kohli made his comeback during the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, the first two matches haven’t gone well for him. Former Pakistan player, Basit Ali, criticized Kohli in his YouTube channel.
Basit Ali commented on Kohli’s game against spin in the ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka. He noted that it’s surprising to see a top player like Kohli, who is ranked as the world’s best batsman, getting out LBW twice. Ali suggested that while it might be expected for less experienced players like Shreyas Iyer or Shivam Dube to struggle, Kohli’s performance indicates he might not be fully in form or practice.
A great batsman like Virat Kohli, the world's number one batsman, has been out LBW twice. It's understandable if it happens to Iyer or Dube, but Virat Kohli is Virat Kohli. This means that he is not in practice.Basit Ali said on his YouTube channel
Kohli’s troubles against spin have been quite evident for the past few years. He has struggled to get going on slow tracks against spin in Test matches and also in limited overs cricket.
Virat Kohli will have to perform if India wants to level the series against Sri Lanka
India are already trailing 1-0 in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. All the batters except the captain Rohit Sharma have struggled against the Sri Lankan spinners on the slow turners. Sri Lanka have obviously made use of their home advantage by preparing such wickets. They have won the toss in both the games and it is always tough to chase down totals under lights in Colombo.
Sharma has given India a blistering start in both the matches with a 58 off 47 in the first and a 64 off 44 in the second ODI. The other batters especially Kohli have failed to capitalize on the start given by the Indian captain. It’s very surprising considering Kohli is considered the greatest chaser and batter in the history of ODI cricket. He scored 24 runs off 32 balls in the first game and 14 off 19 balls in the second.
The run machine has failed to judge the length and turn of the spinners on both the occasions and fallen prey to the guile of the Sri Lankan spinners. If India needs to level the series, Kohli needs to come good on yet another slow turner against the spinners. It remains to be seen if Kohli does manage to bring out his best in Colombo in the third ODI.
In case you have missed:
- Fan teases Haris Rauf by reminding him about Virat Kohli’s two iconic sixes during MLC game
- Rohit Sharma says he still can’t believe that he has retired from T20Is
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Rohit Sarkar
(276 Articles Published)