Updated 21 February 2025 at 19:08 IST
'He's Trying A Bit Too Hard': Ex-India Coach Offers Ultimate Mantra To Virat Kohli Amid Star Batter's Struggle Against Spin
Former India skipper and coach has offered his take on Virat Kohli's struggles against spin and assesses what has been limiting the star India batter.
Champions Trophy 2025: Former India captain and head coach Anil Kumble opener up on the recent struggle of Virat Kohli, which continued against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh. Kumble believes that the star India batter is trying too hard, which is preventing him from overcoming his lean run in the game.
Ex-India Coach Makes Huge Admission On Virat Kohli's Struggles
Virat Kohli's struggles against spin bowling have become extensively evident. The star batter looked composed against England in the final ODI match-up and scored a half-century, but he managed to score 22 of 38 balls before perishing to Rishad Hossain. The spinner offered some good length, and Kohli attempted for a cut shot. But it headed straight towards Soumya Sarkar, who picked up a dolly of a catch. Former India coach Anil Kumble spoke about Kohli's recent struggle and offered some advice to tackle the issue.
"When you have that kind of pressure and you have that kind of expectation, you suddenly start putting undue importance to all of that and then try hard to do well. When you do that, you're not really relaxed. The best innings that I am sure he's played, he's not even thinking about all of that. The best bowling performances, you're not even thinking about all of that.
"I think he's trying a bit too hard. You can see that in the way he is going about his innings. He just needs to not worry about it. Rohit [Sharma] comes in there, has the freedom because there is plenty of batting and all of them are in great form. Similarly for Virat, he just needs to come in and not worry about anything else," Anil Kumble said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.
India Triumph Over Bangladesh, Pakistan Are Now Next
Despite Virat Kohli losing out on his wicket, Team India stood tall over Bangladesh with their composed batting showcase. Shubman Gill & KL Rahul forged a critical partnership to propel India towards a win. Mohammed Shami also secured a five-wicket haul as India sailed towards success after defeating the Bangla Tigers by six wickets.
After successfully taming Bangladesh, Team India will now lock horns against Pakistan, which will be a critical clash for the Champions Trophy hosts. Pakistan will practically fail to qualify for further competition if they lose the match against India. The world's greatest rivalry will add a new chapter at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, February 23, 2025.
Published By : Pavitra Shome
Published On: 21 February 2025 at 19:08 IST