Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has attributed the recent struggles of Indian star batter Virat Kohli to his ‘over-involvement’ in the on-field battles.
Kohli has faced significant challenges during the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia, accumulating a disappointing total of just 190 runs over nine innings.
Despite a promising start to the series with a drought-ending century in the opening Test held in Perth, his performance has tapered off dramatically.
Notably, all eight times he has been dismissed in this series have come while he was attempting to play deliveries outside the off-stump.
Moreover, Virat Kohli found himself embroiled in a heated confrontation with Australian young opening batter Sam Konstas during the Melbourne Test.
In light of these struggles, AB de Villiers has stepped in with valuable advice for Kohli, acknowledging that the Indian star’s difficulties may stem from his heightened emotional involvement in the match.
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He further indicated that Kohli has allowed the crowd’s reactions to affect him. To counter this, the South African advised Kohli to take a step back and “refocus” after every ball he faces, emphasizing the importance of maintaining composure in high-pressure situations.
“It takes a lot of character, a lot of hunger, a lot of hours in the nets,” De Villiers said on his YouTube channel. “I think the thing is to reset your mind, every time.”
“I think with Virat, he gets involved with the battle on the field. That’s one of his biggest strengths and it can also be a weakness. During this series, we saw him have individual battles with some of the players, the crowd got under his skin.
“Virat loves the fight, but when you’re not in the form of your life, it’s best to get rid of those things. As a batter, it is to reset every single and realize every ball is an event and just forget about the bowler.
“I think sometimes Virat forgets about that because of his fighting spirit and the nature of the man wanting to be involved and show the whole of India he is there to fight for them.
“The skill, experience and greatness of the guy are not an issue. It’s about the refocus after every single ball. Maybe sometimes he gets too involved.”