Virat Kohli is trying too hard, should relax a bit, Manjrekar and Kumble feel

Dubai: The stage is set, the stakes are high, and all eyes are on Virat Kohli. India’s talismanic batter has long been the difference-maker against Pakistan, but as he struggles for form ahead of another blockbuster clash, the pressure is mounting. With just one half-century in his last six innings, concerns are growing over his approach at the crease.

Sanjay Manjrekar believes Kohli should take a more relaxed approach to his batting. “When you’re slightly out of form and short of runs, we always try to practicing too much,” Manjrekar said. “Virat Kohli is somebody who’s never prepared less for any game. He’s a guy who’s driven by more hours as a team and on the cricket pitch, just like Steve Smith. But sometimes you just not overdo it. I don’t think all those nets and everything will make the difference, rather than him just settling his mind a little bit and maybe go into a game to enjoy.”

Former India captain and coach Anil Kumble echoed similar concerns, suggesting Kohli might be overexerting himself. The Indian star has managed just 137 runs in his last six ODI innings, with one half-century.

“Having been through a lean patch, especially in white-ball cricket, I feel he’s trying a bit too hard,” Kumble said on ESPNcricinfo Match Day. “You have that in players who have been there and done that before, and everyone sort of looks up to you saying he’s the guy who’s going to take the game away and he’s the one guy who is the important man in the team.

“When you have that kind of pressure and you have that kind of expectation, you suddenly start putting undue importance to all of that and then try hard to do well. Rohit [Sharma] comes in there, has the freedom because there is plenty of batting and all of them are in great form. Similarly for Virat, he just needs to come in and not worry about anything else.”

Despite his recent struggles, Kohli has fond memories in Dubai, where he ended a long drought with a historic maiden T20 century against Afghanistan during the 2022 Asia Cup.

The high-pressure clash against Pakistan could be the perfect stage for Kohli to rediscover his best, much like his match-winning 76 in the T20 World Cup final against South Africa in Barbados. After enduring a lean patch in the lead-up to the final, Kohli anchored the innings to help India secure their second T20 World Cup title.

Kohli, who scored 22 against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy opener, will also have his sights set on an individual milestone. He is just 15 runs away from becoming only the third batter in history to reach 14,000 ODI runs. Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar leads the charts with 18,426 runs, followed by former Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara with 14,234.

With history within reach and a familiar foe standing in his way, Kohli has a golden chance to answer his critics in the best way possible — by doing what he does best. A big innings against Pakistan could not only reignite his form but also remind the world why he remains India’s biggest match-winner.