"They are great players and I am sure they will get back in form" - Sourav Ganguly on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's struggles with the bat
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that it will not be long before Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma start scoring runs on a consistent basis. The two pivotal figures in Indian cricket have struggled as of late with the bat and are enduring a woeful Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have scored only 128 and 153 runs respectively over the course of the ongoing tournament. The former RCB skipper's form has been a cause of concern for quite a while now. However, the responsibility of captaincy across all formats seems to have impacted the Hitman's batting.
Affirming the pair as great players who will eventually find their form, Sourav Ganguly said in an interview with News 18:
"They are great players and I am sure they will get back in form. I hope they start scoring runs soon. I don’t know what is going on in Virat Kohli’s head but I am sure he will regain his form and get some good runs. He is a great player."
Kohli has hit a rough patch in the most recent set of matches for RCB. He has scored only 21 runs across his last five innings, which includes two golden ducks.
Rohit Sharma's poor returns at the top of the order have been one of the reasons behind the Mumbai Indians' forgettable campaign. The five-time champions became the first IPL team to be out of contention for the playoffs after losing each of their last eight matches.
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"Umran Malik’s bowling has been eye-catching" - Sourav Ganguly
The introduction of the two new franchises has arguably been a breath of fresh air and has allowed several young players to rise through the ranks. Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants have been among the best performing sides as well, which is evident through their positions in the IPL points table.
Praising the two new franchises as well as Umran Malik's bowling, Ganguly said:
"I am watching [the IPL]. Any team can win and everyone is playing well. The two new teams - Gujrat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants - are doing well. "
Ganguly continued:
Umran Malik’s bowling has been eye-catching. Umesh Yadav too has bowled well and so has Khalil Ahmed. I would say Umran Malik has been the outstanding face of the league so far."
Umran Malik added another feather to his cap with a sensational five-wicket haul that took his wickets tally to 15 this season. He is the leading wicket taker among pacers, tied with his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate, T Natarajan.