Virat Kohli ‘out of form’? His hard numbers tell another story

What is the definition of ‘form’ for a batsman? Does only the number of runs one scores and centuries one makes define ‘form’? Is it only consistency with which one scores his runs? Or, is it about a batsman actually living up to the expectations of selectors, experts, and fans? And, does the definition of form of a prolific batsman differ from that of others?

By all accounts, there is no set-in-stone answer to any of the above questions. Selectors, experts, fans, and coaches are most likely to provide divergent answers to the main question — how does one define ‘form’?

A selector, who minutely dissects the runs scored, would surely have a different take. A majority of fans would probably look content with the entertainment/sixes that a batsman hits, and would go home happy on having watched a blitzkrieg knock, not necessarily a century.

Shades of form

The definition of ‘form’ has taken a completely different connotation in the present era of social media and the instant judgment/opinion coming from all and sundry, irrespective of whether they are competent enough to comment.

Whatever be the consensus definition of ‘form’, the innumerable so-called ‘cricket experts’ on social media seem to have firmly declared 33-year-old Virat Kohli “out of form”.

And since the area of operation of social media is seemingly limitless, and without any checks and balances, opinions expressed on this platform seem to be influencing gullible minds.

For some time, the world is constantly reacting, suggesting, advising, and lambasting Kohli. Amongst the biggest names joining the debate is legend Sunil Gavaskar. He says if he gets 20 minutes with him he would tell him about “the things he might have to do”, referring to the playing balls on the off stump or thereabouts.

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Pakistan batting great Babar Azam, who seems to be good friends with his Indian counterpart, sent a positive message: “This too shall pass. Stay strong.”

England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler, Test skipper Ben Stokes and former captain Nasser Hussain, and ex-Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, too, have thrown their support behind Kohli.

“I love Virat. He is going to go down as one of the greatest ever players to play the game in all three formats. He is a phenomenal player and I absolutely love that I have played against someone like him. The energy and the commitment that he gives to the game is something which I have admired even before I started playing against him,” said Stokes the other day.

Gavaskar has pointed to a technical flaw in Kohli’s batting, the way he is presently tackling balls pitched on the off stump or thereabout and leaving them — a mode in which he was dismissed a few times in England recently.

Others have “found” that the fault lies in Kohli’s mind while some feel that without captaincy, he is no more the batsman he used to be, the additional responsibility that spurred him on.

What Kohli’s stats show

On the other hand, there are Kohli’s humongous numbers that no one can take away from him. Subjective assessment aside, if one takes a closer look at his statistics in international cricket — Tests, One-day Internationals (ODIs), and T20 Internationals — they give the impression of a player who is clearly not ‘out of form’.

Let us see what these numbers tell us about Kohli’s form, or otherwise. If one sees his statistics closely, he has been scoring runs — i.e., several half-centuries. But he has not been able to convert those 50-plus scores into bigger knocks, centuries.

And due to this, many people have dumped him in the ‘out of form’ category. This is partly because he has set very high standards for himself, and seemingly nothing less than a century from him in each outing would satiate his fans, more so his critics.

Blame it on his 70 international centuries — 27 in Test matches and 43 in ODIs — which have ‘spoiled’ the habits of his fans and experts.

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Those who want to show Kohli ‘out of form’ would almost always point to the ‘time’ he hasn’t scored a Test century — more than two-and-a-half years — and not the matches (18), because that narrative suits their agenda.

It is true that he hasn’t scored a century since November 2019. However, it is also a fact that in these 18 Tests he has scored six half-centuries, besides four knocks of 40-plus. Indeed, the big scores have eluded him, but why stick to centuries? Why aren’t his contributions seen and analysed in the context of the matches?

The last of his half-centuries was a fine 79 (201 balls) — the top score in India’s first innings — in the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town this January. In the second innings, he made 29 off 143 balls, the second highest score after Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 100, when the Indian batting line-up crumbled and the team lost by seven wickets. In both innings, Kohli showed that he could stay at the crease if the situation demands.

Since Cape Town, Kohli has played just three Tests and his sequence of scores has been: 45, did not bat (DNB), 23, 13, 11, 20. Almost the same is his case in ODIs, where Kohli hasn’t scored a half-century in the last five matches.

Yes, he has gone century-less in 23 ODIs (mind you, when he scored that century, against host West Indies in August 2019, it was his second successive one).

Since then he has played 22 matches, and scored 807 runs. More significantly, he has scored 10 half-centuries in these 22 matches, i.e., in nearly every second match he has notched a 50-plus score. Of these 10 half-centuries, there were four consecutive ones.

A look at his string of scores would amply portray that he has not exactly been short of runs: 120, 114 not out, 4, 0, 85, 16, 78, 89, 51, 15, 9, 21, 89, 63, 56, 66, 7, 51, 0, 65, 8, 18, 0, 16, 17.

Notice the six 50-plus scores in the last 13 matches. This brings us to the burning question: Is a century the sole yardstick for assessing Kohli’s form?

And, ironically, Kohli looks the least “out of form” in T20 Internationals, a format in which his spot in the Indian team is being questioned by some people, rather unjustifiably. The reality is that just two innings ago, he scored a 52, against West Indies in Kolkata this February.

In other words, he hasn’t scored a half-century only in his last two matches. Those who are terming him out of form must also take a look at his scores in the last 16 T20 Internationals: 40, 85, 0, 73 not out, 77 not out, 1, 80 not out, 57, 9, DNB, 2 not out, DNB, 17, 52, 1, 11. To emphasise further, he has significantly scored as many as six half-centuries, including two back-to-back 50-plus scores, in his last 13 T20s.

Truth be told

In spite of these contributions — and his vast experience as a player — there are murmurs that Kohli doesn’t deserve a place in the national team for the T20 World Cup, to be held in October-November in Australia. If India is hypothetically reduced to 14 for three in any of the World Cup matches, an experienced hand like Kohli would be required; greenhorns can’t handle such mind-testing situations.

It is also true that numbers can be twisted and quoted to suit a particular narrative. But, all said and done, Kohli’s numbers are heavily tilted in his favour.

Truth be told, it is not just Kohli the batsman who remains crucial to India’s gameplan in all three formats. He contributes so much more even when he is not batting. His mere presence in the field peps up his teammates and demoralises the opposition. He is a brilliant fielder and catcher.

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Even now, when he is not the captain, he constantly contributes by way of suggestions and advice to Rohit Sharma and his teammates. That provides Rohit a perspective, even if the eventual decisions are his. Thus, the experience that Kohli brings to the table is priceless.

At the same time, it is also a fact that Kohli has struggled with certain aspects of his batsmanship. A few times, he has been out chasing and edging a ball that leaves him; particularly left-arm speedsters, in England recently.

However, even in those small knocks, he had played some breathtaking shots that showed his class and authority over the bowlers. That awesome four and straight six, off consecutive balls, against English pacer David Willey in the third T20I exhibited his confidence. Even during his 16 in the second ODI, Kohli looked in form, hitting fast bowler Reece Topley for gorgeous boundaries off consecutive balls.

It may sound clichéd, but all Kohli requires is a big knock to break the shackles — and shut up his critics. The ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2017 and 2018 has a lot more top-notch cricket left in him.

But the innuendoes have to stop. Hopefully, sooner rather than later he would ‘regain’ his ‘form’, and help India to its second T20 World Cup title. That would be the crowning glory for Kohli in more than one respect.

(The writer is a journalist based in Delhi and has covered cricket for three decades. He tweets at @AlwaysCricket)