Virat Kohli's season implodes after third golden duck of IPL 2022

Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman out first ball against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday

Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Virat Kohli was out for a first-ball duck against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, May 8, 2022. Sportzpics for IPL

Jagadeesha Suchith of Sunrisers Hyderabad celebrates the wicket of Virat Kohli at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Sportzpics for IPL

Jagadeesha Suchith and his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammates celebrate the wicket of Virat Kohli. Sportzpics for IPL

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf Du Plessis scored an unbeaten fifty against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Sportzpics for IPL

Rajat Patidar and Faf Du Plessis starred in a century stand on Sunday. Sportzpics for IPL

Dinesh Karthik smashed 30 off just eight balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. Sportzpics for IPL

Virat Kohli's form is a serious concern for Royal Challengers Bangalore and India. Sportzpics for IPL

Virat Kohli's slump in form took another turn for the worse after the star India and Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman fell to a first-ball duck on Sunday.

Batting first against Sunrisers Hyderabad in their IPL 2022 match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Kohli flicked a harmless delivery on leg stump from left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith straight to short midwicket.

It was the third golden duck this IPL season, which includes two in successive matches last month.

Kohli's loss of form has been alarming, with runs drying up at an exponential rate following the end of his captaincy tenure with the national team and his franchise last season.

The 33-year-old has scored just 216 runs in 12 matches this season with one half-century. It is a far cry from his peak in the 2016 IPL edition when he scored a record 973 runs for Bangalore.

Former India coach Ravi Shastri, who worked with Kohli successfully during his peak years, suggested the India batsman looks 'overcooked' and needs to take a break from the game as soon as possible. Kohli has now failed to score a century in more than 100 matches in all formats.

Despite Kohli's failure, Bangalore batted well on a difficult surface to post 192-3.

Captain Faf du Plessis (73 not out off 53 balls) and Rajat Patidar (48) added 105 after Kohli's wicket to take control of the match.

But just as the runs started drying up and Hyderabad looked like restricting Bangalore to a score of around 170, wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik came in at the death and blasted 30 from just eight balls to land the knockout punch.

Karthik hit three successive sixes off left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi to end a miserable bowling effort from Hyderabad, with express quick Umran Malik bowling only two overs.

The total proved well beyond Hyderabad, who themselves lost Kane Williamson to a run-out in the first over without facing a ball. Wrist spinner Wanindu Hasaranga picked up 5-18 to dismiss Hyderabad for 125 and seal a 67-run win.