"Looks Out Of Touch": Virat Kohli Labelled 'Unsettled', Told To Follow Shreyas Iyer After Two Ducks In A Row

Virat Kohli has endured a torrid return to international cricket. The 36-year-old has registered not one, but two ducks in his first two games back in India colours. Playing for India for the first time in over seven months, Kohli has recorded an eight-ball duck and a four-ball duck in the first two ODIs against Australia. Kohli has now been urged by former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif to take a leaf out of teammate Shreyas Iyer's book, and play domestic cricket and India A matches to keep himself in rhythm.

Much like Kohli, Iyer is also active in just the ODI format, finding himself out of the Indian team in Tests and T20Is. However, Iyer has kept himself in action by playing regularly in India A games recently.

Although Iyer failed to score well in the first ODI, he slammed 61 runs off 77 balls in the second ODI.

Kaif pointed out Iyer's example and urged Kohli to follow the same path.

"I asked Shreyas Iyer that, since he is only playing ODIs now after his red-ball break and not being part of T20Is, how is he still able to play with the same rhythm? He is a mentally sorted person, he knows his game so well that he has fine-tuned his mind. He played in the India 'A' matches as well," Kaif said, speaking on his own YouTube channel.

"This is why I say that Virat and Rohit Sharma also have to play in such matches, because Iyer is an example," Kaif stated.

"Iyer played the India 'A' matches, and that is why you see the fluency in his batting. He never looks out of touch, like how Virat is looking right now. Virat, at the moment, looks unsettled, and that is not the case with Iyer, because he has been playing," Kaif added.

In the first ODI, Kohli got out attempting to drive a delivery outside off-stump against Mitchell Starc. In the second game, Kohli failed to read an inswinger from Xavier Bartlett, getting out LBW.

The wretched return has meant that Kohli - the second-highest runscorer in ODI history - has now registered two consecutive ducks in ODIs for the first time in his career.

Kohli remains active in only one format now, having retired from T20Is and Tests. As a result, his options to play regularly for India have significantly reduced.

Meanwhile, questions have also been raised regarding Kohli's place in the India playing XI till the Cricket World Cup 2027.

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