Veteran Indian batter Virat Kohli is not having the best of times as an international cricketer. The 36-year-old has struggled in recent matches with his technique all over the place.
However, Kohli aims to overcome his weakness and regain some form ahead of the Ranji Trophy match for Delhi. He trained with former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar in the nets and even had a long chat with him.
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According to PTI, Virat Kohli has called on Sanjay Bangar to find some form. Bangar organized a training session for Kohli at a facility in Mumbai which was reportedly developed personally under his supervision.
Sanjay Bangar was India’s batting coach when Kohli was at the peak of his career. Bangar has also worked with Kohli in managing the RCB team previously. The former Indian batting coach was seen accompanying Kohli with a few tosses from 16 yards.
The main focus was to develop a strong backfoot game that could enable Kohli to play rising balls comfortably outside the off stump. The practice session was also aimed at creating a greater range of square shots from the wicket.
🚨 VIRAT KOHLI FOCUS ON THE BACKFOOT GAME 🚨
– Virat Kohli’s practice with Sanjay Bangar was to develop the backfoot game and create more carry from the wicket. [PTI] pic.twitter.com/pF2Igh8RkO
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 26, 2025
A movable cement slab was attached to the back of a length zone, which may also be called a mid-pitch zone, to provide it with back length ball balls that rise sharply outside the stump.
Kohli faced a lot of problems against such deliveries during the recent Test tour of Australia, where the balls bounced more after the delivery over a good length. This led to his dismissal, a no. several times during the series.
Need to create more scoring opportunities
It is worth noting that Virat Kohli is naturally a front-foot player and does not rely too much on his back-foot game. However, overseas conditions where the balls move late require a hitter to play the ball late and use his backfoot game to perfection.
Over the years, Kohli has relied on his cover brand, but this picture led to his downfall in the last few months. The idea of the workout was to make sure he keeps his scoring zones intact even if he doesn’t get too many over-thrown balls.
Over the years, Kohli has scored most of his runs in front of the wicket with his traditional shots. However, he aims to develop his backfoot play to further widen his range of goalscoring opportunities.
Virat Kohli’s Recent Test Form
Virat Kohli had a poor Test series in Australia where he scored 190 runs in five Tests at an average of 23.75. He was constantly troubled by balls outside off stump and all his dismissals were done in the same manner where his outside edge went to the wicketkeeper or fielder.
After playing the next match in the Ranji Trophy, Kohli will feature in the ODI series against England and then take part in the Champions Trophy where he will be key to India’s chances. The 36-year-old has a good record in ICC tournaments and the ODI format.
