Will Virat Kohli Take Time Out From Cricket?

Virat Kohli has had a rough 12 months. After stepping down as India’s Twenty20 International captain in September last year, he was later stripped of the One Day International (ODI) armband, as well. He had cited reasons of mental fatigue for the former, but it appears as though the latter decision was taken entirely out of his hands.

Then, in January of 2023, Kohli dropped another bombshell by revealing he would remove himself from the Test cricket captaincy picture altogether, stating he wanted to concentrate solely on batting. Despite that, he endured a season to forget, recording one of his lowest ever totals and prompting numerous ex-pros to suggest he take some time away from the sport to recuperate. So, several months and several more bad performances on, will he take their advice?

Misleading stats?

On paper, Kohli is India’s most successful Test captain of all time, leading the team to the No. 1 position in the ICC Test rankings, as well as an imperious record of 40 victories from 68 matches. That has been bettered by no previous Indian skipper and only a handful of individuals worldwide, including famous names such as Steve Waugh and Ricky Ponting (who both hail from Australia and recorded 41 and 48 triumphs in as many games, respectively) and Graeme Smith (who bagged a hugely impressive 53 wins for South Africa).

However, the stats alone paint a somewhat misleading picture. While Kohli’s achievements are undoubted, he has also had one of the strongest Indian squads at his disposal and there are those who believe he should have done better in international tournaments such as the World Cup. Meanwhile, anecdotal evidence from inside the camp suggests Kohli did little inspire confidence and camaraderie among his charges, while his tactical acumen was also left wanting.

A season to forget

So in one sense, Kohli’s resignation might have been a huge shock to some – but in another, it was probably for the betterment of the team and of Kohli’s contributions as well. Unfortunately, his performances at club level have not demonstrated any tangible improvement, with the batting heavyweight suffering his poorest scoring for over a decade.

Blessed with a strong squad, Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were tipped by many respectable bookmakers (those in search of such a site would do well to read this Sportsbet review for an example) to win the IPL this year. However, Kohli averaged just 22.73 runs all season, which is the lowest figure he has posted since 2010. He also suffered the ignominy of three golden ducks to boot, and was recently trolled mercilessly by RCB fans for his sub-par output.

Some time away needed?

Despite his disappointing statistics of late, Kohli remains one of the best batsmen to play for India in recent memory – and those who have been there and done it before him have suggested he can recapture his stunning form in the near future. However, to do so, it’s likely he’ll have to take some time away from the sport to recharge his batteries and revitalise his psyche.

“It is just that little bit harder at the minute and he has got to work so hard to get back into form. But I think at the minute, he should just pack his bat into his bag and go and sit down with the family,” commented former England skipper Michael Vaughan. “He is too good a player not to bounce back and he will have one of those periods again which we saw a few years ago where he got so many centuries on the trot.”

Will Kohli heed the advice of one of the most respected captains to ever play the game? Only time will tell – but it appears as though he must do something to address his ailing form, and preferably sooner rather than later for RCB and India fans alike.