Sunil Gavaskar's advice of not playing deliveries going outside off-stump to struggling Virat Kohli was met with disapproval by the modern-day great's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma, who was far from amused by the suggestion. Kohli is currently going through a lean patch of his career where he scored just one Test ton in 2024.
Sunil Gavaskar's advice for Virat Kohli
Gavaskar advised Kohli to replicate his idol Sachin Tendulkar by not playing any shot on the ball going outside off-stump. Gavaskar who is one of India's batting legends spoke in detail about players also during his commentary stint without singling out Kohli
"Just like Sachin Tendulkar did in Sydney, in the previous three Test matches, he was getting out outside the off-stump, caught in the covers, or in the slips. He didn't play even one cover drive, only played straight and scored around two hundred and fifty runs by controlling himself and deciding not to play there. If he plays like this, just as Sachin scored a double century, Kohli can also do the same" Gavaskar told star sports.
ALSO READ: Former CSK player announces sudden retirement ahead of IPL 2025, wants to play foreign T20 leagues
Kohli's childhood coach
Rajkumar Sharma who coached Kohli during his childhood days in Delhi reckoned that it is unfair to say that India batter is out of form considering his century in the first Test of the ongoing five-Test match series against Australia.
"Sunil Gavaskar has been a great player and his suggestions are always welcomed but I hope he suggests others also about their batting," Sharma, a former Delhi off-spinner, who has coached Kohli since his pre-teen days told PTI on Tuesday.
"He has been performing well since 2008. It will be unfair to say that he is out of form on the basis of two innings. He has already scored a hundred in this series. How many players have got a hundred in the series?," Sharma countered.
Rajkumar Sharma revealed that he had a conversation with Kohli. He is confident that the batting great will bounce back in the ongoing five-Test match series against Australia.
"We have been talking to each other and talked something that I wouldn't say in public. But he is a mature enough player and knows where he is going wrong. He will bounce back and you'll see that in the series itself" said Rajkumar Sharma
