Virat Kohli failed to make a mark in the Champions Trophy opener against Bangladesh, as he fell for 22 off 38 balls in Dubai. Kohli walked in at a strong position, with India at 69/1, but struggled to get into any rhythm before eventually cutting leg-spinner Rishad Hossain to backward point. His dismissal sparked worries over his form but the side eventually registered a six-wicket win.
Former India batter Robin uthappa believes Kohli is currently caught in a mental battle rather than just a technical slump. Speaking on Star Sports, Uthappa observed that Kohli is more fixated on middling the ball rather than focusing on run-scoring, which is affecting his natural flow.
“Virat, the great batter that he is, will have to address himself because, I think in a sense he’s in his head a little bit. It feels like that from the outside. It feels like he’s looking to middle the ball versus when he actually is batting well, he’s looking to get runs,” Uthappa said.
“He’s not worried about middling the ball because the intent itself is different. And I think he’s trying to break free from that space of trying to middle the ball versus scoring runs and he’s finding himself caught in between is what I’m feeling from the outside. I think it’s a matter of time, the minute he frees his head up and just goes out there and expresses himself, the runs will flow,” Uthappa said.
Throughout his innings, Kohli seemed tentative, playing nine consecutive dot balls before finally getting off the mark. Bangladesh’s Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz kept him under pressure before Rishad Hossain eventually dismissed him. Even Kohli’s only boundary came off an awkward pull shot, further highlighting his struggles.
Uthappa suggests ‘tehnical adjustment’
In addition to Kohli’s mindset, Uthappa also pointed out a technical flaw that might be hampering his stroke-making ability.
“I do think there’s a slight technical adjustment that he needs to make. Generally, his bat comes from the 2nd slip or 3rd slip. When he scored most of his runs, his bat generally comes from the 2nd or 3rd slip. Right now you see it’s coming from right at the wicketkeeper or 1st slip. And from there, every time he looks to play the cover driver or on the offside, he’s gonna not come with a full face of his bat.
“He’s gonna come with maybe 50-60% of his bat, and that also will make that cover drive, his favourite shot, a very dangerous shot to play. So, it’s something that he will have to kind of figure out, and I hope someone speaks to him about it and helps him figure that piece out, because I think that one bit will make a huge difference. I think he’s searching for his feel and form, and it’s a very natural thing to happen when you’re short of runs, and I think it’s a matter of time,” he added.
Kohli’s recent struggles are becoming a worrying sign for India, with only one fifty in his last seven ODIs, amassing just 137 runs in that period. His experience will be crucial in the tournament, and India will be hoping that he finds his form soon, especially with the highly anticipated clash against Pakistan coming up on Sunday.
