'Should Take A Break Post IPL 2022', Wasim Jaffer's Advice For Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli has scored just 216 runs in 12 matches at an average of 19.64 and strike rate of 111.34. It has also seen him bag three ducks, a rare unthinkable phenomenon for someone of his stature.

Despite his couple of good knocks in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022, concerns are growing about the former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli's inability to play fluently and score consistently for his team in this ongoing season.

The 33-year old batter has scored just 216 runs in 12 matches at an average of 19.64 and strike rate of 111.34. It has also seen him bag three ducks, a rare unthinkable phenomenon for someone of Kohli's stature.

Kohli suffered yet another failure in RCB's last game against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday as he was once again dismissed for a duck. Seeing his inability to play fluently, former India batter Wasm Jaffer has suggested to Kohli to take a break after the conclusion of IPL 2022.

"The way he has got out in the last couple of matches, it seems he is overcooked by playing too much cricket. The last six months have been very intense for him as he resigned from the Test and T20 captaincy and was asked to leave ODI captaincy. After going through all these things, he is playing in IPL and hasn't been able to score much for RCB, which certainly affects one's mindset. So, I would suggest that Kohli take a four to six weeks break after the conclusion of IPL 2022 and come back as a mentally fresh player," Jaffer told News24.

He doesn't have the captaincy burden so I feel whenever he will come after the break, I will be in a better mental state as he will now focus on his own performances rather than thinking about selection issues. I definitely feel he should take a break in the South Africa and England series and he may come to play in the Asia Cup, whenever it takes place. The break will be handy for Kohli and will help in coming with a fresh perspective. If we can get the old Virat Kohli, it will be great for India," he added.

Earlier, joining the 'take a break' bandwagon, the former India head coach Ravi Shastri had also advised Kohli to pull out of IPL 2022 if the batter wishes to extend his cricketing career.

"I think it (a break) is ideal for him because he has played non-stop cricket and has captained the side across all formats. It will be wise of him to take a break. Sometimes you have to draw the balance. This year he is already into the tournament (IPL 2022), tomorrow if push comes to shove and you want to prolong your international career and make a mark there for 6-7 years, pull out of the IPL, for all you care," Shastri said on sports presenter Jatin Sapru's YouTube channel.

Kohli, one of the best batters in world cricket, is finding different ways to get out to different bowlers in the IPL.