Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s struggles with the bat in the ongoing 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) has become a huge concern, especially with India set to play the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia later in October. And BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Friday opened up on their struggling performances in the ongoing season.
In 13 games this season, Kohli has scored 236 runs at just 19.67 at a strike rate of 113.46. His tally comprises a solitary half-century score and three golden duck dismissals. The is Kohli’s worst performance in 14 years of IPL. Only in the inaugural edition, he had scored fewer runs than this year, albeit with a game remaining in the league stage with RCB vying for a place in the playoffs.
The Mumbai Indians skipper, on the other hand, has managed 218 runs in 12 games at just 18.17 with a strike rate of 125.29. The tally comprises five single-digit scores and one dismissal on duck. Rohit is yet to hit a half-century this season where Mumbai Indians, who are already out of the race to the playoffs, have two more games to play.
Speaking to Mid Day, Ganguly opined that with the T20 World Cup still far away, he remains unfazed over their present form and backed them to bounce back strongly.
“I’m not worried at all about the form of Rohit or Virat. They are too good…real big players. The World Cup is far away and I am quite confident that they will be in top shape much before the tournament,” he said.
Following 2022 IPL, India will have four T20I series to play with the five-match contest against South Africa slated to begin in June. This will be followed by t2o T20Is in Ireland and three in England and three more at home against Australia, although it is yet to be conformed by the BCCI.