'He’s out of rhythm, out of touch' – Ex-India cricketer delivers harsh verdict on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli once again finds himself under scrutiny for his recurring struggle with deliveries pitched in the fifth-stump channel outside off. The Indian batting icon fell to a familiar mode of dismissal in the first ODI against Australia, edging a ball to point while trying to break free after a slow start.

Having failed to rotate the strike, Kohli attempted a forcing shot outside off and paid the price, departing without scoring. This mode of dismissal has troubled him in the past as well. During the last Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli repeatedly found himself edging balls in that same corridor, often caught behind or at slip.

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Former India batter Mohammad Kaif offered his take on Kohli’s lean patch in Perth, highlighting the critical link between rhythm, form, and consistent match practice.

He explained that regular game time helps players stay sharp and better anticipate the variations of pace, swing, and length that bowlers use to deceive them.

“A player’s sharpness depends on rhythm and playing matches regularly,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. “When you’re in that rhythm, your eyes pick up the ball right out of the hand — whether it’s swinging in or out, a yorker or a slower one. That instinct only comes with constant match exposure.

When you’re playing every couple of days, you stay in your batting zone.” Kaif observed that Kohli currently appears short on rhythm and not fully in control of his batting flow, something he believes was clear from the Perth dismissal. “Right now, Kohli doesn’t seem to be in his batting zone. There was a lack of rhythm, and he looked out of touch, which led to that mistake,” Kaif noted. Despite recent setbacks, Kohli will look to regain his touch in the upcoming ODI at Adelaide Oval — a ground where he has historically thrived. In four appearances there, he has piled up 244 runs at an average of 61, including two centuries, often producing some of his best innings under pressure.