"'Out of form’, a phrase that puts unprecedented amount of pressure on a player" - Mohammed Azharuddin comes in support of Virat Kohli ahead of Asia Cup 2022
Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin appears to have come out in support of batter Virat Kohli. He has urged everyone to refrain from using terms like "out of form" as it puts enormous pressure on players.
A lot of chatter surrounding Kohli is setting the template ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup. Many are of the opinion that the ace batter is not in good form, while the rest feel he is just short of runs.
Kohli, 33, was rested for India's recent tours of Zimbabwe and the West Indies, with his last appearance coming during India's tour of England in July.
While the right-hander has looked good in patches, he still needs runs under his belt to retain his place in the playing XI. With the T20 World Cup coming up, India's remaining contests hold great importance for the Delhi-born batter. This is especially with firm competition for his spot in the playing XI.
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While he did not single out Virat Kohli, it can be assumed from the context that the 59-year-old is speaking about the ace batter. Azharuddin tweeted:
"‘Out of form’ a phrase that puts unprecedented amount of pressure on a player. Let them just go ahead and play with no speculations."
India will take on Pakistan in their opening clash of the 2022 Asia Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on August 28 (Sunday).
Virat Kohli looked in sublime touch during net session ahead of Pakistan clash
The former India captain looked to take the spinners on rightaway during the net session in Dubai. He stepped out of the track to hit lofty shots over Ravindra Jadeja and Yuzvendra Chahal's head. Reporting first for the net session, he reportedly batted for around two and a half hours.
This Shot after ages 🥶🚀
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#AsiaCup2022
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#ViratKohli https://t.co/IDjxP1ZiCZ
The right-handed batter recently dissected his woes with the bat and backed himself to return stronger with his furnished skillsets. In an interaction with Star Sports, he said:
“What happened in England was a pattern, so something that I could work on and something that I had to kind of overcome. Right now, as you rightly mentioned, there is nothing that you can point out saying that the problem is happening here."
He added:
"So, that for me, is actually an easier thing to process because I know that I’m batting well and at times, when I start feeling that rhythm back, then I know that I’m batting well."
Do you think a high-octane clash against Pakistan will trigger Virat Kohli's form? Let us know what you think.