‘International superstar’ Kohli’s game in WC will not be affected by IPL form, says Lockie Ferguson

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) poor run in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 has left a lot of people worried, mainly because the team has Virat Kohli – India’s national captain and also one of the star attractions of the upcoming ICC World Cup, as its captain. The RCB have lost seven of their eight games so far, perishing at the bottom of the points table, while Kohli himself has also not been as dominant as he usually is with the bat. The man has scored 278 runs in eight games in this IPL at an average of 34.75.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan advised India to rest Kohli after the RCB’s debacle saying it would help him re-energise ahead of the big event. However, there were other voices that stressed that the RCB’s performance will not affect Kohli’s game in the World Cup.

New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson, a member of his country’s WC-bound squad, is also of the opinion that the India captain’s show in the IPL will have little bearing on his WC performance. Ferguson, who is playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL this year but had limited success, called Kohli an “international superstar” and that the Black Caps will be wary of him on the big stage. India will play New Zealand at Trent Bridge on June 13.

“He is an international superstar. Playing for RCB is a lot different than playing for India,” India TV cited reports quoting Ferguson as saying in an interview.

Kohli’s captaincy tactics have also come under questioning with former India opener Gautam Gambhir saying that he is lucky to remain at the helm of the RCB despite not being able to win the trophy even once.

KKR to meet RCB at Eden Gardens on April 19

The RCB will be playing KKR in Kolkata on April 19 and it will be a key contest for both sides. The KKR have lost three games in a row after a good start and need to return to the winning ways fast if they aim to qualify for the playoffs. For the RCB, another loss will mean they are almost out of the playoffs race.

Personally, it will be an important game for Ferguson who will try to win the battle against Kohli before they meet in the WC.

[interaction id=”5cb5c7d16fdf9a9036e425e8″]

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from the Indian Premier League (IPL), Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.