Sports

De Villiers attributes Kohli’s struggles to ‘over-involvement’ in on-field battles

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.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

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.”

READ: West Indies squad reaches Pakistan for Test series

A Sports

Recent Posts

Saud Shakeel reveals his vision if he becomes PCB chairman

KARACHI: Pakistan Test vice-captain Saud Shakeel has expressed his thoughts over the Pakistan Cricket Board's…

3 hours ago

Pakistan team set for Thailand clash in Women’s World Cup Qualifier warm-up

LAHORE: The warm-up matches for the highly anticipated ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier will…

4 hours ago

Peshawar Zalmi add Luke Wood to PSL 10 squad

Luke Wood, the England fast bowler, has been included in the Peshawar Zalmi squad for…

5 hours ago

ICC reveals match officials for Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Thursday announced match officials for the Women's Cricket…

6 hours ago

Former Test cricketer Farooq Hameed passes away

LAHORE: Former Test fast bowler Farooq Hameed, who made his debut for Pakistan in 1964…

8 hours ago

Mohsin Naqvi takes charge as Asian Cricket Council President

DUBAI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Mohsin Naqvi has officially assumed charge as the new…

9 hours ago