Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel and Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal have observed that Virat Kohli deals with more pressure in comparison with his fellow 'Fab 4' batters. They attribute this to the heightened expectations that fans have for Kohli, who is widely anticipated to score a century in every innings. Virat Kohli, along with Steven Smith, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root, is considered one of the premier modern cricketing talents. However, Kohli's recent performance has dipped slightly after a decade of consistent run-scoring. Since 2023, he has struggled to regain his top form, managing only two half-centuries and two hundreds.
'don't think Smith, Root, Williamson can think of the type of pressure Kohli must be feeling'
Virat Kohli has faced criticism following his two low scores in the first Test match against Bangladesh in Chennai. Parthiv Patel suggested that Kohli's high self-expectations might make even scores like 60 or 70 feel like failures.
"I don't think he's feeling that kind of pressure. And as you rightly mentioned that, I don't think Smith or Joe Root or Williamson can even think of the type of pressure he must be feeling. The pressure of expectation, that is huge," Patel said, as quoted by India Today.
"He has set his standard so high that even if he scores 60 or 70, that comes across as a failure. Because every time he walks in, we expect him to score 100. We expect him to play with that kind of intensity, which he has always been playing," he added.
Virat Kohli, the Delhi-born batter, faced further difficulties in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. He could only manage scores of 6 and 17 in his two innings. In the first innings, he was caught behind after attempting a ball outside off-stump. The second innings saw him dismissed LBW after misjudging a fuller delivery. Kohli had previously endured a nearly two-year drought without a Test century. He finally ended this drought in March 2023 and scored his last Test century in July of the same year. Throughout his Test career, Kohli has amassed 8,871 runs from 114 matches, averaging 48.74. His impressive record includes 29 centuries and 30 fifties.
Tamim Iqbal praises Kohli's white-ball dominance
Tamim Iqbal, in the same breath, emphasised Kohli's exceptional legacy in white-ball cricket. He asserted that Kohli's contributions to India's success are unmatched compared to the other members of the Fab 4. While acknowledging that all four batsmen have excelled in Test cricket, Iqbal highlighted Kohli's unique ability to win matches single-handedly. He also noted that Kohli faces a level of pressure that surpasses the combined pressure of the other three players.
"And also, I think yes in Test match cricket, the Fab 4 that we are talking about have done wonders. Because in Test match cricket, basically as a batter, you can't win a game single-handedly. There are two innings and everything," Tamim said.
"But we also call them Fab 4 in white-ball cricket and hands down, in what Kohli has done for India, amount of games that he has won single-handedly, I'm pretty sure none of the other three has won that many of the games. And as you mentioned because of the amount of pressure that he goes through, I think those three combined do not have the similar pressure," he concluded.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK
Virat Kohli's biggest fan, 15-year-old kid travels 58km on bicycle to see his favourite cricketer play IND vs BAN 2nd Test in Kanpur - WATCH
