“I think it’s the way you think…”- AB de Villiers’ valuable advice to Virat Kohli to overcome lean patch
Virat Kohli: (Image Source: BCCI/IPL)
Virat Kohli played a vital knock of 58 runs in 53 balls, including 6 fours and 1 six in his last match for Bangalore against Gujarat. His knock helped the team reach a formidable score of 170 runs in the first innings. Though, they couldn’t win the match as Gujarat chased down the score in 19.3 overs.
Nevertheless, that knock would have given Virat Kohli some confidence. However, his form, of late, doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. He has been undergoing a lean patch in his cricketing career. In the ongoing Indian T20 League 2022 edition, he hasn’t taken the world by storm either. In 10 matches, he has managed to score 186 runs at an underwhelming average of 20.67.
Meanwhile, former Bangalore cricketer, AB de Villiers talked about Virat Kohli’s poor run and offered a piece of valuable advice to overcome his lean patch in his cricketing career.
“King Kohli” had been going through a rough patch including two successive golden ducks before he hit 58 on Saturday. He has also failed to score a century in over 100 matches in all formats.
“As a batsman you are only one or two bad knocks away from bad form,” said de Villiers.
“If it keeps coming at you it is difficult to bounce back from it.”
De Villiers stated that the former Indian cricketer is still a fine player and he just need to bat with a clear mind and fresh energy to return back to form.
“I cannot put a percentage to it but it is the mind and power of the mind which is the main battle,” he said.
“You do not become a bad player overnight. Virat would know it and I know it. I think it’s the way you think and set your mind. You need a clear mind and fresh energy whenever you play and then you can find a way out of a hole.”
Ab de Villiers was one of the most prolific run-scorers for Bangalore in the Indian T20 League. He is currently the sixth-highest run-scorer in the Indian T20 League. In 184 matches, he has 5162 runs at an average of 39.71 and a strike rate of 151.69.
