Virat Kohli reached an hour before the rest of the Indian cricket team on Saturday, eve of the high-octane clash against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy. The right-hander was joined by the batting coach Sitanshu Kotak and throw-down specialists Nuwan Seneviratne and D Raghvendra (Raghu).
By the time the rest of the team arrived and started their warmups, Kohli was done with first of his nets session.
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About 15 minutes later, Kohli removed his batting gear and took a break in the dressing room with an ice pack on his left leg.
India were initially due to train from 1pm local time (2:30pm IST) with Kohli being the only exception to this, in order to arrest his poor form. More worryingly, Kohli has fallen in similar manner – playing with an open face of the bat.
Ex-Australia skipper Michael Clarke lauded Kohli’s commitment to refining his form after a poor start to the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh (22 runs from 38 balls). However, former India player Sanjay Manjrekar believes the early arrival for the nets suggests he might be trying too hard.
“I think he is trying too hard. Coming 90 minutes earlier to practice is a sign. He can come two minutes before the match and get going. I think he is trying a bit too much,” Manjrekar told broadcaster Star Sports.
Clarke backed the Indian batter, saying it’s unwise to write Kohli off. He predicted that he could “flick a switch” on the big day vs Pakistan.
“I think Virat is one of those players who thrives in big tournaments. He hasn’t been in the best of form, which is why he’s training an hour and a half earlier. That’s what great players do-when something doesn’t feel right, they make time to correct it before stepping onto the field,” Clarke told Star Sports.
“What I like about the Champions Trophy is that there’s no time to ease into the tournament-you have to be at your best straight away. Virat is such a great player that he might just flick that switch. You might have watched him the other day and thought he wasn’t at his best, but he steps up when India need him most. Don’t be surprised if it happens against Pakistan on the big day,” he added.
