The former RCB skipper shared an appreciation post during all three knocks, and all of them failed in their next respective matches.
The Mumbai Indians (MI) were on a roll, having won four out of their last five encounters. They were looking to add another magnificent win to their record, this time against the Lucknow Super Giants in an away encounter in IPL 2023. However, a middle-order failure denied them the important two points they needed.
The game started off well for MI, with skipper Rohit Sharma and opener Ishan Kishan giving them a fantastic start while chasing 178 runs. Unfortunately, losing both of them in quick succession proved to be the game-changer. The new batters found it difficult to hit straightaway, and the likes of Nehal Wadhera, Suryakumar Yadav, and Cameron Green struggled to keep up the momentum.
Wadhera has been vulnerable against spin, as seen in the last few games. Surya, on the other hand, was expected to take Mumbai home with the touch he's been in. However, he fell on just 7, trying to play his favourite scoop over fine-leg. With the ball gripping in the surface, he smashed a slower Yash Thakur delivery straight onto his stumps. It was a rare failure for Surya, who has four fifty-plus scores in the last five games, including a century in the last match against Gujarat Titans.
However, fans were quick to notice a pattern among Indian players who recorded a low score immediately after a big one in the past week. For instance, Wriddhiman Saha, after a remarkable 43-ball 81 against LSG, fell for just 2 against Mumbai. Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored an impressive 98* against the Kolkata Knight Riders, got out for a duck against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). And now, Surya has joined the list.
Interestingly, all three instances have one common thread - Virat Kohli. The former RCB skipper shared an appreciation post during all three knocks, and all of them failed in their next respective matches. This has led fans to speculate whether Kohli's praise is a jinx for Indian players.
“What a player, @wriddhi,” Kohli wrote during the GT-LSG match for Saha. During Jaiswal's fastest fifty of IPL history, Kohli said, "Wow, this is some of the best batting I have seen in a while. What a talent @yashasvijaiswal28." After Surya's ton against GT, Kohli wrote, "Tula maanla bhau @suryakumaryadav."
Although it's all in good fun and jest, and may seem like a mere coincidence, fans were quick to notice that Virat Kohli also praised Shubman Gill after his impressive century against Sunrisers Hyderabad a few days ago. Some fans have speculated that if Gill fails to perform in the upcoming game against RCB, the coincidence may no longer be a coincidence.
READ| Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma greet each other before LSG vs MI IPL match, netizens say 'Virat Kohli watching them'
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