“You wonder what exactly is going wrong” - Aakash Chopra on RCB batter Virat Kohli getting run out twice in IPL 2022

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra is puzzled with star Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli getting run out twice in the franchise’s last four IPL 2022 matches.

The 33-year-old has looked in decent touch, but has so far failed to play big knocks this season. He was run out for five against the Rajasthan Royals (RR), following a mix-up with David Willey. In Bangalore’s previous game against the Delhi Capitals (DC), he was sent back by Glenn Maxwell and was again caught short of the crease by a direct hit.

According to the IPL schedule, Kohli will hope to get back among the big runs when Bangalore take on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday, 19 April. Previewing the match, Chopra said on his YouTube channel about Kohli’s form:

“Virat Kohli is playing well, but is getting run out. He has already been run out twice. You wonder what exactly is going wrong.”

The former Bangalore captain has so far scored 119 runs in six IPL 2022 matches at an average of 23.80 and a strike rate of 125.26.

Chopra emphasized that the form of the openers is also a concern as they have failed to deliver for a few matches now. He pointed out:

“Glenn Maxwell played very well in the last game, so that’s not a problem at all. But the openers are not scoring runs for RCB. Both Anuj Rawat and Faf du Plessis have played only one good innings each.”

While Anuj Rawat has scored 125 runs in six matches at an average of 20.83 and a strike rate of 112.61, skipper Faf du Plessis has amassed 154 runs, averaging 25.67 with a strike rate of 123.20.

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“Earlier, RCB used to flounder after two to three quick wickets” - Aakash Chopra on the DK-Shahbaz impact

Despite being in trouble a couple of times during the ongoing edition of the IPL, RCB have recovered to win matches in impressive fashion.

Chopra has attributed the majority of the IPL team’s success to the finishing skills of Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed. He stated:

“Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed, they are the game-changers. They are the difference between previous sides and the current one. Earlier, RCB used to flounder after two to three quick wickets. Because of finishers Karthik and Shahbaz, RCB are looking a lot better than the previous seasons.”

While Karthik has clobbered 197 runs at a strike rate of 209.57 in IPL 2022, Shahbaz has contributed 145 runs at a strike rate of 154.26.