'I think it was a miscalculation from him" - Deep Dasgupta on Virat Kohli's dismissal in 1st T20I
Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta believes Virat Kohli misjudged the delivery that led to his dismissal in the first T20I against the West Indies in Kolkata. The former India captain departed for 17 after chipping the ball straight to long-off.
Walking into the middle following captain Rohit Sharma's dismissal, Kohli looked comfortable at the crease, and was proactive looking for runs. In the 13th over, bowled by Fabian Allen, the 32-year-old came off his crease to dispatch the full delivery over cover.
However, with the ball not turning much, it found the inside half of the bat, and went straight to Kieron Pollard in the deep. Noting that Kohli should have played that delivery straight down the ground, Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel:
"A bit unusual shot from Kohli. I think it was a miscalculation from Kohli, because there was not much turn on the surface, especially after the onset of dew. The bowlers were also not looking for turn; they were just firing it in."
Dasgupta added:
"I think Kohli looked for turn, but the ball didn't turn. and it found the inside half of the bat. He tried to go towards cover or wide of mid-off; had he tried to play it straight, he would have found the middle of the bat."
Kohli came into the T20I series following a poor campaign in the ODIs. He scored 26 runs across three innings in Ahmedabad. The former captain's untimely dismissal put India in a bit of strife before they romped home with six wickets to spare.
"You can call him unlucky" - Deep Dasgupta
Virat Kohli was among the runs in the series against South Africa, but never looked in commanding touch. Rohit Sharma has, however, dismissed talks about the batter's poor form.
Nevertheless, noting that Kohli is not picking the right options, Dasgupta said:
"Kohli is not out of form. The time he was out there, he never looked out of form; he looked alright. Maybe at times, he is not picking the right option; you can call him unlucky. I think he should be given time to adjust to his new role in the team as just a player. It takes time to mentally adjust."
Kohli has two more T20Is in the ongoing series to rediscover his mojo as the build-up to the 2022 T20 World Cup continues.