Virat Kohli faced “Chokli” taunts on X following his dismal performance in India's clash against Afghanistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup on Thursday.

 

Fans mocked Virat Kohli on the internet after the premier Team India batter suffered another failure, his fourth in succession in the T20 World Cup. The 35-year-old batter, who's earned global acclaim for his superhuman-like consistency, managed to score only 24 off 24 deliveries against Afghanistan in the crucial Super Eight fixture in Barbados.

After registering only five runs in the first three matches of the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli opened his innings against Afghanistan with caution, taking a bit of time to settle down on the pitch.

Once he looked set, the former India batter began opening his shoulders and even recreated his iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) six from the last edition of the T20 World Cup in Australia as he smashed Afghanistan bowler Naveen-ul-Haq for a maximum at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown.

However, Virat Kohli's stay at the crease was short-lived as his troubles against wrist-spinners came to haunt him once Afghanistan's spin superstar Rashid Khan was introduced into the attack.

With Virat Kohli looking to be aggressive, Rashid Khan tossed up the ball to lure the Indian batter into a drive. The 35-year-old fell into Rashid Khan's trap as he lofted the ball towards long-off, where Mohammad Nabi took a clean catch to send him back to the pavilion.

Last week, USA's Saurabh Netravalkar removed the Team India superstar for a golden duck at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

With Virat Kohli registering his maiden golden duck in the T20 World Cup, his terrible run in the tournament extended to three matches in a row.

The Delhi-born cricketer arrived in the US after having a stellar Indian Premier League (IPL), recording one of his best seasons in the 17 editions of the competition.

During the 17th edition of the tournament, Virat Kohli made 741 runs in 15 matches, thus becoming the only batter to cross the 700-run barrier this year.

With this, he won the Orange Cap for the second time in the history of the IPL, having previously bagged it in 2016.

In 2016, Virat Kohli struck a phenomenal 973 runs, which remains a record in the event.

But he began his T20 World Cup campaign with a score of 1 off 5 deliveries against Ireland at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in the Big Apple last week.

On a lively pitch that was aiding fast bowlers, Virat Kohli slashed hard at the ball delivered by Mark Adair. However, he could only get a thick edge, and Benjamin White, who was standing at third man, did the rest.

The 35-year-old batter followed his 1 against Ireland by scoring four runs against arch-rivals Pakistan.

Interestingly, it was his lowest score against the Green Army in the T20 World Cup.

After experiencing two successive failures, everyone expected Virat Kohli to find his groove against the USA but it wasn't meant to be.

Saurabh Netravalkar, who once represented India in the U-19 World Cup, ended Virat Kohli's plans of rejuvenation as soon as he arrived at the crease to open the batting with skipper Rohit Sharma.

Enticing Virat Kohli with a little bit of a wide delivery outside the off stump, Saurabh Netravalkar sent him back to the pavilion after he edged the ball to be caught behind by the wicketkeeper.

It is worth noting that in the past, Virat Kohli has had difficulties against left-arm bowlers, and Saurabh Netravalkar was no exception. With the track helping the fast bowlers, Saurabh Netravalkar's delivery moved after pitching and Virat Kohli was unable to handle it, thus losing his wicket for naught against the hosts.

With Virat Kohli's form causing concerns among fans and former Indian cricketers alike, West Indies legend Brian Lara showed optimism about his return to run-scoring ways.

“24 of 24, you can say that’s not great but the most important thing is that he spent some time out there. India has got one step closer to winning this trophy. I believe that Virat Kohli is just gonna go from strength to strength as he comes down to the Caribbean. He’s going to Antigua next, you’re gonna see him go out there and plough and plough, he’s gonna get runs. When he gets into full swing, it's a different story. We just have to be very patient with him, we’re gonna see a lot of him there’s still a lot of games left in this World Cup,” Brian Lara said on Star Sports.

Virat Kohli will only have one day to regain his composure after his latest flop show in the T20 World Cup with Team India squaring off against Bangladesh at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.