Brad Hogg Attributes Virat Kohli's Slump To Off-Field Drama, BCCI New Rules
Former Australian player Brad Hogg blames star Indian player Virat Kohli's poor form on more off-field drama than on-field. He also stated that the new guidelines set by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) can put more stress on Kohli for not allowing families to stay for the whole tour. The Indian batter got a lot of criticism for his performance in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He managed to score only 190 runs in 10 innings, despite scoring a century in the opening Test at Perth but continued to play the same off stump, which was the reason for his dismissal from the start of the series. He was among the players who came under scrutiny after India lost the series to Australia. He ended last year by scoring 655 international runs in 23 matches at an average of 21.83, smashing a century and two half-centuries.
The 36-year-old has been facing a decline in his Test career since the start of 2020; he has scored only 2,028 runs in 39 matches at an average of 30.72, hitting only three centuries and nine half-centuries.
"Virat has got a family now" - Brad Hogg
In a recent YouTube video, Hogg talked about the thing that is not letting Virat play his best. He said,
"He has got a family now. He has other commitments off the field that he did not have when he was really dominating all three formats around the globe. So, it is not just about the cricket; it is what is happening off the field as well."
"I think it is more the drama off the field for Virat. I just think he has just got too much on his plate that has probably caused him to not perform as well at this moment."
Talking about the new guidelines set by BCCI on families, Hogg said,
"With the new rules that the BCCI has brought in regarding families, that's even going to put more stress on Virat, for his wife and family as well, because you got to have that balance. I think players should be able to have their families on tour as much as possible, especially with the amount of cricket and the amount of travel that India has at the present moment."
As of now, Indian star players were asked to play in the Ranji Trophy in order to regain their form before the ODI against England and the Champions Trophy 2025. Virat skipped the match against Saurashtra due to a neck issue but is reportedly going to play against Railways on January 30.