'Virat Kohli will have to...' - Gautam Gambhir makes bold claim on RCB captain's form ahead of IPL 2021 UAE leg

Virat Kohli-led India were on the cusp of winning their first-ever Test series on English soil, after a gap of 14 years, when the fifth and final Test got cancelled in the wake of Covid-19 crisis in the Indian camp. Now, the cricketers have joined their respective franchises as IPL 2021's second and final leg is set to commence from September 19 in the UAE.

While Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will miss some of their key players in the final leg, they will hope to resume the season on a good note and win their first-ever IPL title. Currently, they are at the third spot in the points table. For them to do well and go the distance, Captain Kohli will have to score consistently. For the unversed, the 32-year-old Kohli hasn't been at his usual best since late 2019. While he hasn't scored an international ton since November 2019, he has registered fifty-plus scores across formats but hasn't been able to convert them into daddy hundreds. 

Even in the first phase of IPL 14, Kohli amassed 198 runs in 7 matches at a strike-rate of 121.47, with one half-century. While he did some find form in the last two Tests versus England recently, it will be tough for him to adapt to the T20 format from Test cricket.

In this regard, Gautam Gambhir told on Star Sports' show 'Game Plan', "See there’s going to be a challenge for Virat and there’s going to be a huge challenge for AB de Villiers as well because he will be coming into the tournament without playing any cricket at all. Virat Kohli will have to adjust really quickly because there’ll be hardly any time for him to get used to it. From the five-Test-match series to the T20 format, and AB as well, because these guys need to get runs if they have to have a chance to first qualify for the playoffs and then probably go on to win the title."

RCB will resume their campaign in the final leg versus Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), on September 20 at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi.

Will Kohli rediscover his form and take RCB to their first-ever IPL title? Only time will tell...