Even when he has been struggling lately, Virat Kohli has maintained incredible fan loyalty. An enthusiastic fan handed a hand-painted painting of Hanuman ji to Kohli’s hotel room in Mumbai on November 5, the day before his 36th birthday. Kohli, known for recently displaying his spiritual side, must have been moved by such a kind present. He has always respected the affection of his fans and frequently shows his gratitude for their support by making them feel important. Fans have continuously supported him, and he, in turn, never fails to show gratitude, creating a bond that remains unshaken regardless of his form on the field.
At the Indian team’s hotel room, Kohli appeared overjoyed as he engaged with the fan and accepted the present. In the just-finished three-match Test series against New Zealand, the star batter didn’t have the finest performance. For the first time in Indian cricket history, India lost to New Zealand 0–3 in a complete sweep at home. The position of skipper Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli in the team has been questioned.
Kohli’s recent dip in form
The 35-year-old scored just 192 runs at an average of 21.33 in 10 innings during India’s home Test season, and he only had one fifty to his credit. Since 2020, he has struggled against spin, as evidenced by his declining average in India from 72.45 (2013-2019) to 32.86, during which time he was dismissed 24 times out of 57.
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With an average of just 20.41 against left-arm spin, and 12 out of 58 dismissals since 2020, Kohli’s performance against this bowler is very worrisome. He was dismissed four times by left-arm spinners in the most recent home season alone, twice to Mitchell Santner and once each to Shakib Al Hasan and Ajaz Patel.
Nevertheless, given his stellar Test record on Australian soil, expectations will be high for him in the forthcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy series. Kohli has amassed 2042 points at an average of 47.48 in 25 Test matches, including eight hundreds, against Australia.
