Virat Kohli is overcooked, he needs a break: Ravi Shastri

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri reckons Virat Kohli needs a break amid the latter’s rough patch. On Tuesday (April 19), the talismanic batter bagged a golden duck during the IPL 2022 game between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai. It was an outgoing delivery from Dushmantha Chameera which Kohli guided to Deepak Hooda in the point region.

RCB fans in the stands were stunned as Kohli endured yet another failure. His form is really becoming a concern as the talismanic batter has looked nowhere near his best in the last couple of years. In fact, his international last ton was recorded way back in November 2019. Shastri, who’s known to have a great bond with Kohli, feels the 33-year-old requires a break as the bio-bubble fatigue is getting better of him.

Virat Kohli has 6-7 years of cricket left in him: Ravi Shastri

“When I was coach at the time when this (bio-bubble) first started, the first thing I said is ‘you have to show empathy to the guys’. If you’re going to be forceful, there is a very thin line there, from a guy losing the plot as opposed to him hanging in there and giving his best. So you have to be extremely careful,” Ravi Shastri told Star Sports.

“I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it’s him. Whether it’s two months or a month-and-a-half, whether it’s after England or before England (referring to the tour of England in June-July),” he added.

Shastri further said Kohli has 6-7 years of cricket left in him and BCCI must give him the required treatment. “He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don’t want to lose that with a fried brain. He is not the only one. There might be one or two in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront,” asserted Shastri.

While RCB have won five of their first seven games in IPL 2022, Kohli hasn’t made his bat talk much. He has managed just 119 runs in seven matches at an average of 19.83. With the competition entering its latter stage, Kohli would want to get his mojo back.