TOP STORIES
"We’re hoping he might play an aggressive shot early": KKR assistant coach Shane Watson on Kohli's poor form ahead of RCB vs KKR showdown
Batting superstar Virat Kohli kicked off the Indian Premier League on a big note, keeping himself among the runs; however, the last two matches have presented an unusual challenge for him, with the batting icon registering two successive ducks and going four matches without a century. His recent dismissals have come as a surprise considering his experience and supreme aura.
In RCB's previous outing against Mumbai Indians, Kohli was dismissed for a golden duck. Before that, he lost his wicket for a two-ball duck. Now as RCB gear up to face KKR in their upcoming encounter on Wednesday, KKR's assistant coach Shane Watson, sharing his thoughts on Kohli's form slump, said his side would look to capitalise on Kohli's struggle. But he also maintained that Kohli is unlikely to make the same mistake due to being so disciplined.
“Every team has plans against Virat Kohli because he’s one of the best players in the world. But the challenge is that he knows exactly how to counter those plans as well,” Watson said at the press conference on the eve of the match.
“We’re hoping he might play an aggressive shot early like he did in the last game, although the chances of that are probably remote because Virat is so disciplined. He’s extraordinary. His hunger to be the best and his intensity on every single ball are still burning very brightly. We know we need to be switched on from ball one because he’s someone who can set up a match incredibly well for his team,” Watson added.
Despite the latest blows, Kohli has enjoyed a sensational season for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, performing brilliantly at the top of the order. So far, he has racked up 379 runs from 11 matches at an average of 42.11, striking at 163.36.
Tags
More News
Gurnoor Brar pulled up for code of conduct breach
India pacer Gurnoor Brar has been given a warning after breaching level one of the ICC Code of Conduct during the first ODI between England and India in Birmingham. Brar was found to have breached Article 2.9 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to “throwing a ball at or near a player in an inappropriate and or dangerous manner...
"Lots of eyes and fingers will be pointed at Gautam Gambhir": AB de Villiers amid India's unexpected slump in T20Is
India were dealt crushing series defeats in the recently concluded T20I assignments against Ireland and England, with the defending champions struggling to match the intensity shown by the opposition and being handed a wake-up call. Across both series, India were clean swept, going down 2-0 to Ireland and 4-0 to England. Amid India's sudden dow...
Moises Henriques retires from Australian domestic cricket
Sydney Sixers captain Moises Henriques has retired from Australian domestic cricket. Moises, who announced his first-class retirement in March 2025, led Sydney Sixers to the final of the BBL earlier this year in January; however, he was not given a contract for the upcoming season of the BBL, following which he decided to end his career with 154 BBL matches under his belt. ...
Ashwin urges Indian management to back Kuldeep Yadav
Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has raised questions over the way wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav is being managed by the Indian management, asserting that the left-arm spinner deserves a more consistent role in the ODI side. Kuldeep has been left out of three of India's last four ODIs, including the opening ODI against England in Birmingham. On most occa...
ENG vs IND, 2nd ODI: India aim to seal series as England fight for survival
Having shown their dominance in the opening match, India will look to continue their impressive run as they gear up to take on England in the second ODI at Sophia Gardens on Thursday. India delivered a commanding performance in the series opener, sealing a six-wicket win and taking a 1-0 advantage. Now, they are one victory away from clinching the three-match s...
Android App
iOS App
YouTube
Instagram
Twitter