'When you get 3 low scores…': Gavaskar addresses Virat Kohli's 'motivation' after unusual form slump at T20 World Cup

3 months ago | 35 Views

With three single-digit scores in three matches, Virat Kohli finds himself in the middle of a rare slump in form. He may not be out of form, for all you know, as one shouldn't read too much into it as it's only the league stage. But one thing is certain. Team India's plan to have Kohli open the batting hasn't worked as per plan. He was brilliant in the IPL, capping off the season with the Orange Cap for a second time. What could go wrong, right? Well, apparently plenty.

The last time Kohli opened for India in a T20I before the T20 World Cup was in early 2021. The pitches in the USA are a stark contrast to the decks used in the IPL. Kohli may still find form at the end of the day, but there's no denying the fact that the USA surfaces haven't suited his batting, and in hindsight, it may have been short-sightedness to have him partner captain Rohit Sharma at the top.

Nonetheless, with India having qualified for the Super Eights, Sunil Gavaskar weighed in on Kohli's unusual string of low scores. The former India captain, who, until a while ago, was a thorn in the eyes of Kohli's legion of fans, is confident that Virat will hit the ground running sooner rather than later.

"The biggest motivation for any player is to win matches, especially when you are playing for your country. He has done so well for India over the years and won so many games. I think he recognises that. We are in the early phases of the tournament. There's Super 8s, semi-finals, and hopefully the final. All he needs to do is show patience and faith in himself, which I think he has plenty," Gavaskar said on Star Sports after the match.

What's wrong with Virat Kohli? Nothing, says Sunil Gavaskar

Kohli, for whom the ongoing World Cup is arguably his last in the T20 format, has scored 5 runs from three innings. Against Ireland, he was out for 1 caught at third man. In the game against Pakistan, he began with a glorious cover drive for four but mistimed the next ball to point. Five runs from two matches. However, the real shocker came Wednesday evening when, chasing a wide delivery from USA's Saurabh Netravalkar, Kohli nicked a ball from nearly the 6th stump to the keeper to be dismissed for a golden duck.

While none of them were good deliveries warranting a wicket, Kohli fell prey to… maybe his eagerness to get going… who knows? Irrespective of the dismissal though Gavaskar feels it's only a matter of time before runs start flowing from Kohli's bat like always.

"When you get three low scores, it doesn't mean he is not batting well. Sometimes you get good deliveries. Any other day, the ball would've gone wide or over the slip for a boundary, today it didn't. So, there's nothing to worry about. We have to show faith in him. Much believe that he is going to come good, sooner rather than later," the Indian legend added.