Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Kohli 'anxious' and 'fried' but will battle out of alarming slump

Kohli 'anxious' and 'fried' but will battle out of alarming slump

Virat Kohli deserves more respect and will fight his way out of an alarming slump which hit a new low when he suffered a second successive golden duck in the IPL, fellow cricket stars say.

It is the first time in the Indian's stellar career that he has got out on the opening ball twice in a row and has scored just 119 runs in eight matches this season for Royal Challengers Bangalore.


Pictures of "King Kohli" talking to West Indian great and Sunrisers Hyderabad batting coach Brian Lara went viral on social media after Bangalore's big loss on Saturday, when they crashed out for 68.

Fans reacted with excitement to the picture of two greats in one frame, with many believing the talk would help turn around Kohli's form in the ongoing Twenty20 tournament.

Former Bangalore captain and coach Daniel Vettori feels that the 33-year-old Kohli, who will likely next play on Tuesday against Rajasthan Royals, will eventually strike form again.

"People talk about him being mentally fatigued, but I think he's better than that, I think he's bigger than that," Vettori told ESPNcricinfo.

"I think he'll find a way to battle through it and the way is through that aggressive nature."

The former New Zealand skipper said that Kohli should go back to his roots.

"I think this is the time when he'd turn to his friends, his closest confidantes and maybe a mentor from when he was young," said Vettori.

"I think space is the key, and understanding and respect for him as a player," he added.

Kohli, one of the best batsmen of the modern game and often the standard-bearer for Indian cricket, got out first ball to Lucknow Super Giants pace bowler Dushmantha Chameera and then fell to Hyderabad left-arm quick Marco Jansen.

Jansen, a 21-year-old South African who had caught Kohli's attention as a net bowler back in 2018 in South Africa, got his prized scalp with a fuller-angled delivery that got the batsman caught at second slip.

"If a batsman has played even half a dozen deliveries, you notice whether his foot is moving or his batting is not coming right," batting great Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports.

"But when a batsman gets out on the first ball, I think it's just the anxiety."

- The slide -

Kohli's successive golden ducks have made headlines, but statistics suggest his problems go deeper than that.

His miserable run with the bat has coincided with him stepping down as captain of India in T20 and Test cricket, and also being removed as ODI skipper, all in the last seven months.

He has failed to score a century in over 100 matches in all formats.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen said it was only a matter of time until Kohli is back to his prolific best.

"You want a fact? Every single great of our game has been through what Virat is going through," Pietersen tweeted.

"Want another fact? They all get through it and deliver on the big stage again."

Bangalore retained Kohli, who stepped down as captain of the franchise, last year for nearly $2 million but it was a pay cut for the star player who previously had the biggest IPL annual salary of $2.7 million.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri believes that Kohli is "overcooked" because of so much cricket and should be given a break to relieve his "fried brain".

Kohli has played 101 Tests, 260 one-day internationals and 97 Twenty20 matches for India since 2008, during which time he has amassed 23,650 runs across the three formats including 70 centuries.

He is still searching for a first IPL title with Bangalore.

More For You

Edgbaston Test

Yashasvi Jaiswal fends off a delivery from Brydon Carse during day one of the 2nd Test between England and India at Edgbaston on July 02, 2025 in Birmingham.

Getty Images

India make three changes as England choose to bowl in second Test

ENGLAND won the toss and chose to bowl in the second Test against India at Edgbaston on Wednesday. India made three changes to their line-up and rested fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah to manage his workload ahead of the rest of the series.

Sai Sudharsan and Shardul Thakur were left out, while Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar and Akash Deep came into the playing 11. Bumrah is expected to return for the third Test at Lord’s, which begins on July 10.

Keep ReadingShow less
Djokovic Wimbledon

The sixth seed, who is aiming to equal Roger Federer's haul at the All England Club

Getty Images

Novok Djokovic eases into Wimbledon second round after Muller challenge

Key points

  • Novak Djokovic beat Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-2, 6-2 to reach the Wimbledon second round.
  • The sixth seed is aiming for a record 25th Grand Slam title and to equal Federer's seven Wimbledon titles.
  • Djokovic took a medical timeout for a stomach issue in the third set but recovered after receiving treatment.
  • Muller fought back to win the second set tiebreak, but Djokovic regained control in the final two sets.
  • Djokovic said he always believes he can win Wimbledon, calling grass the surface where he plays his best tennis.

  • Seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic was made to work hard after a strong start as he began his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title by beating unseeded Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-1 6-7(7) 6-2 6-2 to reach the second round on Tuesday.

    The sixth seed, who is aiming to equal Roger Federer's haul at the All England Club and move past Margaret Court in the all-time list of major champions, will take on British wild card Dan Evans in the next round.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Coco Gauff

    The French Open champion looked uncomfortable under the roof on Court One

    Getty Images

    Coco Gauff says switch from clay to grass contributed to Wimbledon exit

    Key points

    • Coco Gauff was knocked out in the Wimbledon first round, losing 7-6(3), 6-1 to Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.
    • The French Open champion admitted struggling with the transition from clay to grass and said she lacked match practice on the surface.
    • Gauff, 21, was emotional in her post-match comments, saying she felt mentally overwhelmed after her win in Paris.
    • She acknowledged Yastremska’s strong performance and said she may reconsider her pre-Wimbledon schedule in future.
    • Gauff followed fellow American Jessica Pegula in exiting early, noting that Wimbledon often sees first-round upsets.


    A tearful Coco Gauff said she had not coped well with the switch from Paris clay to Wimbledon grass after she was dumped out of the championships in the first round on Tuesday.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Bumrah Tests

    Despite taking 5-83 in the first innings at Headingley, Bumrah went wicketless in the second as England chased down a target of 371, with opener Ben Duckett scoring 149.

    Getty Images

    2nd Test: India wait on Bumrah decision as they look to bounce back against England

    INDIA will take a last-minute call on whether to include Jasprit Bumrah in the second Test against England, starting Wednesday at Edgbaston in Birmingham, as they look to level the five-match series.

    Bumrah, currently the top-ranked Test bowler, would usually be a straightforward selection after India’s five-wicket defeat in the opening Test at Headingley. However, the fast bowler is returning from a back injury and had earlier said he expected to play only three of the five Tests.

    Keep ReadingShow less
    Raducanu Shines in Dominant Start to Wimbledon 2025 Campaign

    Raducanu and Jack Draper are making most of the headlines

    Getty Images

    Raducanu begins Wimbledon campaign with confident win

    Key points

  • Emma Raducanu defeated fellow Briton Mimi Xu 6-3, 6-3 in the Wimbledon first round.
  • Xu, 17, was making her Grand Slam debut and appeared overwhelmed early on.
  • Raducanu dropped just three points on serve in the first set.
  • Despite a series of breaks in the second set, Raducanu regained control to seal victory.
  • She described the all-British clash as “difficult” but was pleased with the result.

  • The biggest home assault on Wimbledon for 41 years got off to a great start on Monday when Emma Raducanu triumphed in an all-British clash.

    Keep ReadingShow less