After failing to score big runs, Virat Kohli has been under tremendous pressure as a player, captain, and batter over the past 2 years and former India head coach Ravi Shastri feels the batter desperately needs a break to rejuvenate himself.
“Virat Kohli is overcooked”
The former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain has been going through a tough phase with just two 40-plus scores to show in the last seven innings for his team in the current IPL season. Kohli’s quest to find run-scoring form took another blow on Tuesday as he was dismissed for a golden duck in RCB’s match against Lucknow Super Giants. He has given up IPL captaincy and doesn’t lead India in any format anymore, yet his class with the bat is missing.
The greatest batter Virat Kohli is mentally “overcooked” and needs to take a break from cricket in order to benefit the country for at least another six-seven years, feels ex-India coach Ravi Shastri.
“When I was coach at the time when this first started, the first thing I said is ‘you have to show empathy to the guys’. If you’re going to be forceful, there is a very thin line there, from a guy losing the plot as opposed to him hanging in there and giving his best. So you have to be extremely careful,” Ravi Shastri told adding “I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it’s him.”
“Whether it’s 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it’s after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don’t want to lose that with a fried brain. There might be 1 or 2 in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront,” Shastri added.
KP’s advice
Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen agreeing with Shastri suggested that Kohli should stay away from social media to avoid any kind of scrutiny.
“100 percent correct, Ravi. The guy has had so much to deal with, from marriage to baby to media scrutiny and all in his personal life. He is the biggest star on the show.”
“Virat Kohli needs to say ‘cricket boots, for six months, I will see you later. Turn off social media, go and get re-energized. When the stadiums are full again, you guarantee him a spot on that side for the next 12, 24, or 36 months. Tell him ‘you’re our guy, we know you’ll deliver for us’.
“I think he is going to find it very hard to continue delivering now. His brain, as Ravi Shastri said, is completely fried,” Pietersen said.
