Pakistan legend claims Virat Kohli’s career is nearing its end, exposes his biggest problem

Former Pakistan cricketer Zaheer Abbas has offered advice to star Indian batter Virat Kohli ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 series in Australia. Zaheer Abbas said that he is confident of Virat Kohli regaining his batting form amidst his poor outings in the longer format of the game.

Kohli has struggled to score runs in recent times. The right-handed batter has scored 1,186 runs in 20 Test matches, with an average of 35.93. He managed to score 93 runs across six innings at an average of 15.50 against the Kiwis. Kohli smashed just one half-century in five Tests against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

Virat Kohli Doesn't Have Any Technical Problem - Zaheer Abbas

Speaking to RevSportz, Zaheer Abbas said that Virat Kohli still has a few years of cricket left in him. Zaheer emphasized that Kohli doesn't have any technical issues but rather needs to focus harder. The legendary cricketer said that playing continuous cricket can lead to a loss of concentration.

“Kohli doesn’t have any technical problem, just that he needs to concentrate harder,” Zaheer said on RevSportz.

“When you are playing almost non-stop cricket, your mind can become jaded and you tend to lose concentration while batting. I think this is Kohli’s problem at the moment. He needs to be in the right frame of mind. He still has a few years of cricket left in him,” he added.

I Back Virat Kohli To Score Runs On True Australian Pitches - Zaheer Abbas

Zaheer Abbas said that Virat Kohli would perform well on Australian pitches, adding that the conditions would suit his style of play. He said that Kohli would enjoy batting on Australian pitches, where the ball comes onto the bat with minimal lateral movement.

“I back Kohli to score runs on true Australian pitches. He would enjoy batting there. The ball will come on to the bat. There will not be much lateral movement, and he is a great player. If he can get into the right frame of mind, he should score a lot of runs,” said Zaheer.

The 36-year-old batter has an impressive record in Australia, with 1,352 runs in 13 Tests at an average of 54.08, including six centuries. The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will begin the five-match Test series against Australia on November 22 in Perth.

A Lot Will Depend On How Performs In The Series - Zaheer Abbas

The former Pakistan skipper opened up about Virat Kohli’s struggles against spin in the New Zealand series, adding that even average spinners look world-class on turning pitches. Zaheer emphasized that Kohli’s performance in the upcoming series in Australia will be crucial for his comeback.

“Batting sometimes can become a lottery on rank turners. Anytime a ball might come with your name on it. Such pitches can make even average spinners look like world-class bowlers. I don’t think Kohli has any technical issues against spin. That said, he hasn’t been scoring runs for a while now and he has to get back to form in Australia. A lot will depend on how performs in the series,” Zaheer concluded.

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