IND vs AUS 2022: "Virat Kohli has always been dismissed to him because of his overconfidence" - Rajkumar Sharma on contests between former Indian skipper and Adam Zampa
Virat Kohli is undoubtedly one of the greatest batters in the modern-day game across formats. However, there have been a few bowlers who have gotten the better of him on multiple occasions and one of them is Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa.
Zampa has had decent success against Kohli in white-ball cricket, dismissing him seven times. With India and Australia set to face off in a T20I series beginning on Tuesday (September 20), many are keen to see how the former Indian captain will tackle the tweaker.
Speaking to India News Sports, Kohli's childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma opined that it was his ward who often threw his wicket away against Zampa. He said:
"Taking nothing away from Zampa, I feel Virat Kohli has always been dismissed to him because of his overconfidence. Whenever Zampa has come to bowl, sometimes Kohli has tried to plunder him for runs and has ended up losing his wicket."
Sharma added:
"So I feel he should respect his good deliveries and punish the loose ones. He needs to find a balanced approach in tackling Zampa."
Rajkumar Sharma on Virat Kohli's approach against Australia
Rajkumar was also asked whether Kohli should attack from ball one against the Aussies or take his time. He opined that a lot would depend on how Indian openers Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul fare in the powerplay.
Virat Kohli in the nets today. https://t.co/KkROJk6qSh
If the Men in Blue lose early wickets, Rajkumar feels Kohli should consolidate and should play his natural game. This would provide solidity to the Indian innings and leave them with enough batting strength for the final overs. He stated:
"Virat's strike rate will depend a lot on what kind of start the Indian openers give and what form Rohit Sharma is in."
Rajkumar added:
"You always need to have a plan B because if you lose early wickets, you cannot continue to go hard. You need to assess the conditions and then bat deep which is exactly what Virat does, making him one of the biggest match-winners in this format."
India and Australia will meet at the IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali for the first T20I.
How much will Virat Kohli score in the first T20I against Australia? Let us know in the comments.