“The world is pushing him down to his knees” - Shoaib Akhtar feels RCB batter Virat Kohli being put under too much pressure
Former Pakistani pacer Shoaib Akhtar reckons that senior Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli is trying too hard to prove a point in IPL 2022. Lamenting that too much pressure is being put on the legendary cricketer, Akhtar advised him to enjoy his game and not stress himself too much as he is already a proven performer.
Kohli’s struggles with the bat have been one of the major talking points of the ongoing IPL season. The 33-year-old has scored 216 runs in 11 matches at an average of 21.60 and a below-par strike rate of 111.92. He scored a much-needed fifty against the Gujarat Titans (GT), but it came at a slow pace and ended up hurting RCB’s batting momentum.
Kohli’s batting will, once again, be observed closely when Bangalore take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the day's first game of the IPL 2022 double-header at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, 8 May.
Analyzing Kohli’s poor form ahead of the match, Akhtar urged the cricketer to rediscover the enjoyment in his batting. Speaking to Sportskeeda, he said:
“Kohli is a great player. He has got nothing to prove. But he is finding new ways to get out because he is under pressure. He is trying too hard. He just needs to go out there and enjoy the game. Legends like Virat Kohli know how to make a comeback. But the world is pushing him down to his knees.”
Kohli scored a hard-fought 30 against CSK before being cleaned up by Moeen Ali.
“Glenn Maxwell has to prove his worth” - Shoaib Akhtar on RCB dasher
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Shifting focus to another big name in the Bangalore franchise, Glenn Maxwell, who is also under the lens, Akhtar said that time is running out for the Australian. He opined:
“There are not a lot of matches left for Bangalore in IPL 2022 now. So Glenn Maxwell has to prove his worth and his place in the side. If he doesn’t, there will be a problem for him when it comes to the next auction.”
The recently married Aussie all-rounder has had a mixed IPL 2022 season. He has scored 160 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 175.82. However, he has only one half-century to his credit.
Maxwell did play a crucial role with the ball in RCB’s win over CSK in their last match, claiming the wickets of Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu.
Also Read: “Kane needs to turn from William to villain” - Shoaib Akhtar urges SRH skipper to show some aggression with the bat in IPL 2022