Former Indian cricket captain Anil Kumble believes that Virat Kohli should relax more instead of feeling pressure to score runs. In the recent ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 match against Bangladesh, Kohli only scored 22 runs before being dismissed by spinner Rishad Hossain. Since the 2023 ODI World Cup, he has struggled with his form, scoring just 137 runs in six matches.
Kumble noticed that Kohli was trying very hard to perform well and believes it’s making things tougher for him. He said, “When players have been successful for a long time, they feel the urge to keep performing well, and that can lead to extra pressure.”
In Kohli’s last six innings, he has been out mostly to spin bowlers, particularly left-arm spinners. Kumble suggested that Kohli should look at Rohit Sharma, who scored 41 runs rapidly in the same match, as an example. Kumble pointed out that Rohit plays with freedom because he knows his teammates are also doing well.
Kumble advised Kohli to focus on enjoying the game rather than worrying about the score. He emphasized that Kohli is a strong player against spin but has fallen into the habit of trying too hard to score runs. Instead, Kohli should focus on playing naturally by rotating the strike and building his innings gradually.
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