IND vs AFG: Gautam Gambhir Believes Young Cricketers Should Acquire Valuable Lessons In Fitness And Running Between Wickets From Virat Kohli

Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir lauded ace batter Virat Kohli for his brilliant knock against Australia in the ICC World Cup 2023. Gambhir emphasized that young cricketers should learn from Kohli about how to handle pressure and adapt to different situations.

Australia set a target of 200 runs after choosing to bat first in Chennai on Sunday, October 8. The Rohit Sharma-led team chased down the target with six wickets in hand. KL Rahul was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 97-run knock in the tournament opener.

It’s About Rotating The Strike – Gautam Gambhir

Speaking to Star Sports, Gautam Gambhir emphasized the importance of rotating the strike to minimize dot balls when chasing totals in one-day cricket.

“Well, I think it’s just the way you read the game. I think it’s very important. First, when you have to chase those big totals, you got to be able to absorb the pressure.

“You should have this self-belief, you can chase it down from any situation and position and, more importantly, when he does that in one-day cricket, you have got to realise it’s not about hitting those big shots.”

“It’s about running between the wickets. It’s about rotating the strike. It’s about never putting yourself under pressure. The lesser dot balls you play, the better position you’re in, because you know that with these new rules, with five fielders inside and two new balls with any time to accelerate.”

“But when your team is under pressure, that low risk cricket from there on, if you can continue to build that momentum, continue to build that foundation and that is exactly what he has done.

“He plays the ball. He was on 70-odd with only 5 boundaries. So, that just shows the ability to play spin and more importantly, the ability to rotate the strike against spin,” said Gambhir.

Young Cricketers Will Learn The Importance Of Fitness – Gautam Gambhir

The former Indian opener highlighted that Virat Kohli‘s example serves as a valuable lesson in effectively managing innings, especially when chasing targets in one-day cricket.

“That is very important and that is why he’s so consistent. And I’m sure I think a lot of these young cricketers in the dressing room will learn the importance of fitness, the importance of running between the wicket and the importance of how to rotate strike in the middle as well, because with this new format with T20 cricket, a lot of these new guys want to keep hitting the ball out of the ground.”

“But that’s not gonna be easy. Imagine when you’re 2 or 3 down for two. You can’t go out there and hit a long ball. You will still need to be able to absorb the pressure and try and rotate those strikes. And I’m sure these young cricketers coming through will learn from Virat Kohli,” said Gambhir.

Virat Kohli scored 85 runs off 116 balls after the team lost three quick wickets. He steadied the innings with a match-defining partnership with KL Rahul. He smashed six boundaries during his knock, demonstrating his ability to run between the wickets.

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