Virat Kohli's form in IPL 2022 for Royal Challengers Bangalore has been dubious. Meanwhile, Ravi Shastri has advised him to pull out of the tournament remainder.
Nothing seems to be going right for Virat Kohli. He has had a terrible stint so far in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL), as his poor form with the bat is affecting his team Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Meanwhile, former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri feels that Kohli should think about pulling out of IPL 2022 to prolong his career.
In nine IPL 2022 innings, Kohli has scored just 128 runs at a frail average of 16.00 and a strike rate of 119.62, while his top score happens to be 48. Notably, he has not slammed a competitive century in over a couple of years. Also, with the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 coming up, Kohli is running out of chances and time ahead of the same.
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Speaking to Jatin Sapru on his YouTube channel, Shastri commented, "I think a break is ideal for him because he has played non-stop cricket and captained the side across all formats. It will be wise of him to take a break. You know, 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 six-seven years, pull out of the IPL, for all you care."
"If that is the case, you have played for 14-15 years. Not only Virat, but I'll also tell that to any other player. If you want to play and do well for India, you have to draw the line where you want to take that break, and the ideal break would be off-season when India is not playing and the only time India does not play is [during] the IPL. Sometimes, you need to do that or tell the franchise I'll only play the half. Pay me half, as simple as that. Those tough calls need to come if you want to reach the zenith of your profession as an international player," added Shastri.
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Shastri feels that Kohli has a lot of prime cricket left in him. But, judging by his current form, he needs to go back to the drawing board and begin from scratch. His last international century happened in 2019 during the day-night Test against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens Stadium in Kolkata. Also, his previous IPL century came in the same year against former two-time champion Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the same venue.
