The legendary Indian former opener Sunil Gavaskar says he can help out the former skipper Virat Kohli to recoup his lean patch with the bat, especially his weakness outside off stump. Kohli has failed to score an international century since November 2019. “If I had about 20 minutes with him, I would be able to tell him the things he might have to do. It might help him, I am not saying it will help him but it could, particularly with regards to that off-stump line,”.
“Having been an opening batter, having been troubled by that line, there are certain things that you try and do,” said Gavaskar. It is related to the earlier statement that his first error ended up being his last. Again, just because he is not among the runs, there is this anxiety to play at every pitch because that is what hitters feel, they have to score. You try to play at deliveries that you normally wouldn’t. On the previous England tour, he nevertheless improved his performance, Gavaskar added.
Kohli is again rested for the coming West Indies series which includes 3 ODIs and 5 T20s.
Kohli had a couple of lean years, but even in those years, he has scored runs, not hundreds. But everyone is getting up against him now. Even the former Indian legendary player Kapil Dev himself has an opinion to exclude Kohli from the T20 World Cup this year. “It’s not like India haven’t played without Virat in the last five to six years, but I want such a player to be back in form. He might have been dropped or rested but there’s still a lot of cricket left in him. A great player like him shouldn’t take so much time to get back in form. He has to fight with himself and get things in order”, Dev said.
However, many former and current cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Babar Azam, Kevin Peterson, and Shoaib Akhtar backed him to come back in the upcoming games.
Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar reacted on his YouTube channel that Kohli’s 70 International centuries weren’t scored in “aunt’s backyard”. “My advice to Virat would be simple – he should forget that he ever was captain of India with all the limelight on him and just simply focus on his batting. All the criticism that is directed at him is designed to make him stronger and he will emerge as a bigger person”, he added.
In support of Virat Kohli, Babar Azam, the Pakistan skipper posted a picture with him in the last T20 World Cup in UAE and captioned “This too shall pass. Stay strong Virat Kohli”. Kohli tweeted in response, “Thank you. Keep shining and rising. Wish you all the best”.
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