India’s in 2022 has been exceptional, especially under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. The Men in Blue have also put on a great show on the ongoing tour of the West Indies. After winning the ODI series 3-0, they are leading the T20 series 2-1. After resting from the ODI series, most of the players came back for the T20s. But the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli got an extended break from the T20s as well.
The former Indian skipper has been going through a tough time and is struggling to make big scores. He was part of the England tour and, across three formats, he failed to cross the 20-run score in six innings. That is surely a concerning sign for the Indian team with the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup coming up.
Former Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez believes that Kohli is thinking too much and that excess pressure is hurting him. He also said that a break would help him to get back to normal and regain his form. In a discussion on Dawn, Hafeez also said that Pakistani pacer Hasan Ali should have been given a break earlier because he was also struggling under mental pressure.
The ex-Pakistan skipper said that Virat has lost his impact in last a couple of years. He highlighted that the fifty Virat scored against Pakistan in the last T20 World Cup wasn’t that impactful. Hafeez added that if the impact is there only, then you should play or else take a break.
He stated, “Virat Kohli is one of the best players of the past 10 years. I think he is also facing the same problem.. He needed a break because he had too much mental pressure. Until you can’t bring an impact, there’s no point of you playing.“
Hafeez concluded that the BCCI made a smart decision to give Kohli a break and he will not come with a fresh mind. Notably, the former Indian skipper is likely to make a comeback in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022.
India will take on arch rival Pakistan in the first match of the Asia Cup 2022 on August 28, Sunday. The Pakistan Cricket Board has already announced their 15-member squad for the tournament. But the BCCI is yet to announce the squad, which is likely to be announced on or before August 8.
