Former India's star batter Mohammad Kaif feels there is only one way Virat Kohli can find his mojo back and that can only be achieved by finding ways to get more game time. Kohli has found himself in the receiving end of all the criticism following his disastrous batting show in the ongoing ODI series against Australia. His much-awaited return to the international cricket was marred by back-to-back ducks in the first and second ODI respectively.
Mohammad Kaif offers key advice to Virat Kohli
Kaif specifically urged Kohli to take inspiration from Shreyas Iyer and consider playing domestic cricket to get back among the runs. Shreyas recently played for India A, where he successfully scored a fighting half-century in the second ODI under challenging conditions, proving the value of match practice at the domestic level.
“I had met Shreyas Iyer recently, and I asked him about his stance and rhythm. Since he is currently only playing ODIs after taking a break from red-ball cricket and not participating in T20Is, I wanted to understand how he still manages to play with such fluency. He is mentally sorted, knows his game inside out, and has fine-tuned his mind. He also played in the India A matches, and that’s why I say Virat and Rohit should consider doing the same," Kaif said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel.
Iyer’s fluency comes from staying active: Kaif
In contrast to Kohli, Kaif observed that Shreyas Iyer looks in good touch all the time while the former India captain has clearly struggled to settle himself at the crease. He noted that while Kohli is yet to get off the mark in the series, opener Rohit Sharma managed to showcase his potential during the second ODI, recovering from being dismissed cheaply in the first game.
“Iyer’s fluency comes from staying active. He never looks out of touch, unlike Virat at the moment. Virat currently looks unsettled, whereas Iyer has been playing regularly, and it shows in his game," Kaif concluded.
India have already lost the three-match series after suffering defeats in both Perth and Adelaide. The third and final ODI is slated to be played on October 25 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).