Virat Kohli failed to score many runs in the first 2 ODI matches against Sri Lanka. Kohli announced his retirement from the T20I format after he helped India in winning the T20 World Cup in June. He marked his return to the international stage with the ODI series, but unfortunately, he hasn’t been able to deliver in his first 2 matches.
The batter struggled against spinners on the turning track in Sri Lanka and scored 24 and 14 runs in the first and second ODI respectively. It is Kohli’s first series under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, but he has not been able to make a valuable contribution to the side with the bat.
Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali expressed his shock on witnessing a player of Kohli’s calibre getting dismissed against spinners in back-to-back matches.
“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 said on his YouTube Channel.
“It did not seem that this is the batting lineup which rules the world. I feel that Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul probably haven’t even practiced. These people have come without practice,” he added.
Kohli was adjudged leg-before wicket in both the ODI encounters. In the first match, Wanindu Hasaranga got the better of him while in the second match, his replacement Jeffrey Vandersay took Kohli’s wicket.
