Virat Kohli assaulted brutally by former Indian Head Coach after Champions Trophy failure vs Bangladesh
Published - 21 Feb 2025, 01:07 PM | Updated - 21 Feb 2025, 11:41 PM
Former Team India bowler and head coach Anil Kumble made a huge statement on star batter Virat Kohli after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh. Anil Kumble stated that Virat Kohli is putting unnecessary pressure on himself while batting, which is affecting his performance.
Virat Kohli struggled to score runs against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday, February 20. The right-handed batter took 10 deliveries to get off the mark and focused mainly on strike rotation. He scored 22 runs off 38 balls, including one boundary, being dismissed by Rishad Hossain in the 23rd over.
Virat Kohli Just Needs To Not Worry About It - Anil Kumble
In a conversation with ESPN Cricinfo, Anil Kumble said that Virat Kohli is trying too hard to meet expectations. Kumble said that Kohli should adopt a more relaxed approach at the crease, focusing less on external pressure and simply playing his natural game.
"I feel he is trying a bit too hard. When you have that kind of pressure, and when you have that kind of expectations, you suddenly sort of start putting undue importance to all of that, and try hard to do well. When you do that, you are not really relaxed," Kumble said on ESPN Cricinfo.
"I think he is trying too hard, you can see it in the way he is going about his innings. He just needs to not worry about it. He just needs to come in, and not worry about anything else," he added.
India Begin Their Champions Trophy Campaign With A Six-Wicket Win
India began their Champions Trophy campaign with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh. They successfully chased a 229-run target in 47 overs. Shubman Gill scored an unbeaten 101*, guiding the team to victory despite Kohli's struggles. It was Kohli's first-ever ODI outing at the Dubai International Stadium.
Kohli had entered the tournament with limited runs but had scored a fifty against England in Ahmedabad. He averaged below 22 in 23 matches with just one century in 2024. The 36-year-old batter's struggles played a role in India's back-to-back Test series defeats against New Zealand and Australia.
Kohli Is Trying Too Hard To Counter Spin - Anil Kumble
Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, Kohli has played six ODIs but has failed to convert good starts into big scores. His recent struggles against spin have been evident, with spinners dismissing him in each of his last six innings.
Anil Kumble said that Kohli is trying too hard to counter spin, especially on tricky surfaces. Kumble advised Kohli to relax and not overthink his performances.
"To start off against spin, on that kind of a surface, you need a lot of confidence. He is certainly trying too hard to maneuver that. He is a good player of spin when he is in form," Kumble said (as per the aforementioned source).
"I get a feeling watching him bat, I think he is putting a lot more pressure on himself, so he just needs to relax a little bit. Not worry too much about the outcome of what is happening on the field," he concluded.
