IPL 2022: ‘I’m not surprised that he has struggled’ – Pietersen delivers verdict on Virat Kohli’s lack of big scores | Cricket

It is no secret that over the last two years, the big scores have gone missing from Virat Kohli. The former India captain, who at one stage of his career, would not miss covering a fifty to a hundred, has now gone century less for 28 months. The number of ducks has increased, and the lapse in concentration, which never used to bug Kohli has crept into his game. Whatever is troubling Kohli, RCB would be hoping to see the best of their former captain when they open their IPL 2022 campaign against Punjab Kings in Mumbai. (Also Read: IPL 2022 Full Coverage) 

Ahead of RCB’s first match of the season, former England captain Kevin Pietersen has made an interesting observation about his former IPL teammate Kohli and his lack of big scores. The pandemic-induced bio-bubble life makes life tough for any cricketer, and Virat Kohli is no exception, feels Pietersen, and as a result of it, the former batter says he is not going to judge Kohli for the previous two years of his career.

“I’m not going to judge anybody on their performances over the last couple of years. The unique circumstances that cricket has been played in has not assisted certain individuals and the way that they play,” Pietersen wrote in his blog for Betway.

“Virat Kohli is an exhibitionist and an entertainer, and he needs crowds singing his name and going crazy at every one of his runs to get him going. He needs to know that people are there to watch him as he wants to provide them with that entertainment. When you take that away, I’m not surprised that he has struggled.”

With Kohli having given up captaincy in every format, and the return of crowds in the stadiums for IPL 2022, Pietersen believes Kohli ‘the greatest’ has a golden chance to be the run-machine that he once was.

“Hopefully the return of crowds at this event is the start of things getting back to normal. If so, he’ll go back to being the greatest – because he is the greatest. The burden of captaincy being taken away from him at RCB may help, too. He can focus purely on entertaining the fans who adore him so much,” he pointed out.