10 hours Ago
Virat Kohli’s recent run of dismissals by spin bowlers is raising alarms for India as they aim to regain the Champions Trophy after 12 years. Former Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar pointed out a significant concern in Kohli’s batting technique—his recurring dismissals due to an open-faced bat. The 36-year-old Kohli, who struggled during India’s recent tour of Australia against fast bowlers in the off-side corridor, was dismissed for just 22 in India’s opening Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Thursday.
This marked his sixth consecutive dismissal to spin in ODIs, following struggles against England’s leg-spinner Adil Rashid in the recent home series. Kohli’s Batting Technique: The Open-Faced Bat Issue Gavaskar highlighted that Kohli’s dismissals are often caused by an open-faced bat, which is a persistent issue for the star batsman. “It’s largely due to the fact that the bat face opens up, similar to what happens when he plays against quicks in Australia,” Gavaskar explained to India Today.
The batting legend pointed out that Kohli has been repeatedly trying to play through the covers, with his bat face opening, putting him at risk. “When the bat face opens up, it gets him into trouble, especially against wrist spinners like Rishad Hossain,” Gavaskar added. During the Champions Trophy match, Kohli was dismissed after trying to cut a delivery from Rishad, only to be caught by Soumya Sarkar at backward point.
Gavaskar noted that Kohli had already shown signs of vulnerability earlier in the innings, when his bat face had opened up on a couple of occasions, narrowly avoiding a nick. Kohli’s Recent Form: A Sharp Decline in 2024 Kohli, who scored an impressive 765 runs in 11 matches during the 2023 ODI World Cup, has faced a sharp decline in form in 2024. He has managed only 137 runs in six innings at an average of 22.
83, with just one half-century to his name. This inconsistency has further fueled concerns regarding his form ahead of India’s Champions Trophy campaign. Is Kohli’s Technique Becoming a Liability? Gavaskar emphasized that Kohli’s inability to adapt to the same type of bowling raises a serious concern.
“If you keep getting out to the same kind of deliveries, it shows there is a technical flaw that needs to be fixed,” Gavaskar said. Kohli will need to address this issue quickly, as India looks to regain the Champions Trophy..
