Asia Cup 2023: 'Players Need To Evolve ...'- Ravi Shastri's Massive Statement On Virat Kohli

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has made a massive comment on former Indian skipper Virat Kohli just ahead of Asia Cup. The tournament will mark Kohli’s comeback after a break from international cricket. He last played for India in the first ODI against West Indies where he did not bat.

Shastri believes that the Indian batting maverick will need to evolve and adjust accordingly with the bat in big tournaments like the Asia Cup and ICC World Cup 2023. Kohli is central to India’s chances in both the mega-events.

Speaking to Star Sports, Shastri spoke about how the likes of Joe Root and Steve Smith have done it successfully in the recent past and said that Kohli also needs to follow the same path.

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Not Just Virat Kohli, Every Batsman Evey Indian Batsman Needs To Evolve: Ravi Shastri

“You’ve got to evolve with the game, no matter how big a player you are, and the same applies to Virat Kohli. You watch around the world, you look at players like Joe Root, Steve Smith, or, for that matter, Kane Williamson, or Kohli himself in certain stages in his career” said Shastri.

“You’ve got to evolve and move with the times because there are innovations out there. There are players who want to up the ante. There is a different template in place at the moment. You have to evolve all the time, and not just Virat Kohli, but every batsman in that lineup,” he further added.

Sandeep Patil, who was a part of the discussion as well, spoke about Hardik Pandya’s importance in the Indian white-ball sides. Hardik recently attracted a lot of criticism regarding his captaincy after India lost the T20I series against West Indies 3-2. Hardik’s own performance was below par as he scored just 77 runs and picked up four wickets in the five-match series.

“I don’t know at what number he is going to bat. But he should not forget that he will be in the team as an all-rounder and not just as a batsman. He has shown responsibility when he handled the Gujarat team in the IPL,” Sandeep Patil highlighted.

Both Kohli and Pandya will return to the Indian team in the Asia Cup 2023. India take on Pakistan on September 2 in Pallekele.

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