Nagpur: Virat Kohli continues to approach the crease with a distinct confidence. However, his records have lost some of their former lustre. The past five years have seen four subpar years in Test cricket, which have impacted his overall performance. Despite this decline in his Test averages (30.72 across 39 matches), Kohli has managed to maintain his status as a star player.

Having previously reached the pinnacle of batting excellence in Test matches, Kohli's enduring appeal can also be attributed to his consistent performances in limited-overs formats. In T20 internationals, he has demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure, as evidenced by his 82 not out against Pakistan at the MCG during the 2022 T20 World Cup and his 76 runs in the final against South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Nevertheless, if there is one format where Kohli still feels completely at ease, it is the traditional ODI format.

On Tuesday, Kohli was the first player to take to the nets in Nagpur ahead of the ODI series against England, practising alongside captain Rohit Sharma, initially facing pace bowlers and then spinners. His demeanour during practice, engaging in light-hearted banter with younger teammates, belies the fact that his net sessions are not as fluid as they once were. When Harshit Rana managed to beat his outside edge, Kohli acknowledged the unexpected bounce with a gesture. Recently, a relatively unknown pacer from Railways, Himanshu Sangwan, successfully breached his defence in the Ranji Trophy.

While Test cricket demands a higher level of technical proficiency, for a player like Kohli, who has achieved significant success in white-ball formats, ODIs present an excellent opportunity. He will be looking to the next five weeks of 50-over cricket, commencing with three ODIs against England on Thursday, followed by the Champions Trophy, to help him regain his rhythm and confidence.

This situation is not solely about Kohli's expertise in the format; it also involves technical aspects. Kohli is part of a select group of all-format batsmen who make minimal adjustments to their game when transitioning between formats. Over the past five years, he has accumulated the highest number of runs, with a remarkably consistent percentage of those runs coming from driving the ball.

The returns have not been consistent.

This inconsistency may be attributed to waning eyesight, reflexes, and age; notably, his most effective stroke has led to 32 of his 38 dismissals against pace in Test cricket, primarily behind the wicket—either caught behind or in the slip cordon. In white-ball formats, such dismissals are considerably less common—6 out of 26 in ODIs and 5 out of 24 in T20Is.

While T20 cricket presents distinct challenges, such as the necessity for power-hitting and unconventional shots, ODIs allow Kohli to predominantly rely on his established skill set. The relentless accuracy of Scott Boland in Test matches diminishes with the softer Kookaburra white ball on batting-friendly pitches and the imposition of spell limits. After successfully negotiating the new ball, Kohli employs his signature flick (12% of runs), increases his pull shots (15%), introduces the less aggressive steer (8%), and effectively rotates the strike (11%), utilizing his considerable energy to run swiftly between the wickets.

The results have been markedly different. Struggling with off-stump issues against the red ball, where none of his technical adjustments proved effective—having experimented with various techniques in Australia, including altering his off-stump guard, batting from both in front of and behind the crease and adopting different stances—his statistics in ODI cricket over the past five years (average 51.04 across 53 matches) have remained stable.

Throughout his career, Kohli has established himself as an exceptional ODI batsman. His 13,906 runs (average 58.18) are the highest among his contemporaries. Even during a challenging phase, he emerged as the top scorer in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Rohit Sharma’s aggressive approach as an opener (with the highest tournament strike rate of 125) significantly contributed to Kohli's success.

This year also saw Kohli making notable contributions in Test matches. If the batting stalwart aims to make a significant impact in the latter stages of his career, the Champions Trophy should serve as a motivating factor.

"We are now welcoming back two exceptional players (Kohli and Rohit), both of whom have outstanding records in one-day cricket. We hope they can come in and perform, striving to be as aggressive and positive as possible."

Read Also: ‘No Toxic Rivalry in the Team,’ Assures Shubman Gill

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!