On Saturday, Virat Kohli scored 74 runs from 81 balls in Sydney to help India beat Australia by nine wickets, chasing 237 runs. Kohli has already retired from both T20Is and Tests, and ODIs are the only format in which he participates. However, the catch is that, unlike in years past, the number of ODIs played in a calendar year has been reduced, and there has been speculation about not just Kohli, but also Rohit Sharma, regarding their participation in the 2027 World Cup. Former Indian Head Coach Ravi Shastri said Kohli might not have a problem physically; it comes down to his mental state and hunger.
“If that drive is there, he will stay fit, because there’s no question he’s still very fit. It’s about form. That is crucial. So I guess in his case, he’ll take it one series at a time and then see how he is mentally. He’ll have no problems physically, but it’s the mental part of it, that hunger and desire. If that is still there, and he’s enjoying it, I think he’ll carry on,” Ravi Shastri said on FOX Sports.
Before the half-century, Kohli was dismissed for two ducks in the first two outings. Ravi Shastri, terming the two ducks of Kohli as ‘two ducks out of pond’, Kohli was quick to acknowledge that and to be ‘out of the pond’.
‘Good to be out of the pond, honestly. I am kind of lost. You scored so many runs in international cricket but then the game shows you everything even at this stage. You know, almost 37 in not many days and still feel like, don’t know how to get a run. I mean this game is amazing. That’s we love batting, we love batsmanship,” Kohli said while replying to Shastri on JioHotstar.
“It’s so challenging when it is not going your way and you have just to find your rhythm again. Of course, you know, going out there, having a situation to play, and always is something that always brings out the best in me. And yeah when Rohit is already batting already there, it is pretty easy to kind of keep rotating strike. You understand each other’s game pretty well. So again really good to have a good partnership and another match-winning partnership for us,” he added.
