Harbhajan Singh has urged Virat Kohli to play more freely against spin after his struggles in India’s Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh. Kohli was dismissed for 22 off 38 balls in the successful chase of 229 on February 20.
Kohli faced 10 dot balls against spin before falling to leg-spinner Rishad Hossain. He seemed frustrated, unable to rotate the strike during his partnership with Shubman Gill, despite Rohit Sharma’s fiery 41 off 36 balls.
“I definitely think slower bowlers, especially leg-spinners, have caused Virat Kohli some discomfort. He needs to come up with a strategy to tackle leg-spin. He must find a way to turn those dot balls into singles. When a player is out of form, this is exactly what happens—you take longer to settle in and waste more time. That’s what’s happening with Virat Kohli right now. Cricket is a great leveler. It shows that no matter how big your name is, your reputation won’t matter unless you put in the effort and show intent,” Harbhajan Singh shared with India Today.
“He seems to be getting stuck because he’s taking more time to get going. He needs to back himself and play his natural game, like the Virat Kohli we know. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. He’s a champion, and even if he retires today, he’ll be remembered as a legend who served India with distinction. My advice to him is to enjoy the game, remove the extra pressure, and bat freely,” he added.
“There was a chance for him to get back into form against Bangladesh, face more balls, and prepare for the Pakistan game,” he mentioned.
“Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. It was a slow knock. We’ve seen him struggle to rotate the strike against spinners. However, we also know that Virat Kohli has played lofted cover drives and sweep shots with ease, particularly in Australia. He needs to back himself and bring out the same aggressive approach we know him for. It’s all in his mind now. Only he can push himself through this phase. The team needs him to score runs.
“He must regain his form in the next match, particularly with top-quality spinners like Afghanistan’s in the semi-final. It’s time to work on it.
“He must believe in himself again, enjoy the game, and show the world his best.”
The post Harbhajan Singh gives career saving suggestion to Virat Kohli appeared first on Crictoday.
from Crictoday https://ift.tt/buPMvoR
0 Comments