"Virat Kohli never liked BCCI's.."- Ravi Shastri's right-hand stuns cricketing world
Published - 14 May 2025, 11:46 AM | Updated - 14 May 2025, 12:30 PM
Virat Kohli, who is known for his commitment, aggression and intensity on the field, never liked practice matches at all. Ex- Indian coach Bharat Arun makes a big claim on Kohli.
Arun was the bowling coach when Kohli’s career as a skipper was flying high. He also described his coaching tenure as the best moment in his career with Kohli.
Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket on May 12, and after that, former players and staff are claiming big quotes on Kohli's cricketing career.
Ex-India coach's big revelation on Kohli
Arun revealed that Kohli never liked the practice matches, as the intensity was missing in the practice games, and he never enjoyed the matches.
Instead of the practice matches, Kohli liked to face bowlers in the nets from 16 yards and choose the difficult pitches to bat on. Sometimes, he likes to face the throwdown as well compared to practice matches.
Kohli’s Test average was going down after 2020, and after Gautam Gambhir arrived in the Indian coaching staff, he wants every player to play practice games and first-class matches as well.
Also read: 'GOAT' Virat Kohli easily replaceable, claims James Anderson
Bharat Arun's relationship with Virat Kohli
Bharat Arun enjoyed his tenure as a bowling coach with Virat Kohli as captain. According to him, he spent some of the best moments as a coach.
The only regret he has is not winning the World Test Championship (WTC). The duo of Kohli and Arun produced the most pacers in Indian cricket.
“He always felt the intensity was somehow missing and never really enjoyed practice games. Instead, he would want to spend more time at the nets and would always choose the spiciest wicket and get bowlers to bowl at him from 16 yards — or take throw downs from 16 yards,” Bharat Arun stated.
Arun recur a pivotal moment of his career when India were touring Australia in 2018. The series was locked at 1-1, and Kohli was going into the third Test match with a ton at Perth.
India won the historic Test series, as this was their first Test series win in Australia.
Highlight of Kohli-Arun tenure in Indian cricket
The main highlight of the Kohli-Arun tenure was establishing a path for the pacers. The likes of Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Siraj, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and many more have been outstanding in the Kohli-Arun era.
They also groom the young pacers like Siraj, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna in Test cricket.
The Indian team won the series in Australia and tied the series in England with the help of their pace attack. The pace battery in Kohli-Arun tenure was capable of taking all 20 wickets in a Test match on any kind of pitch.
Also read: Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's retirements lead to ex-India Head coach getting bloodthirsty for BCCI
