The former India head coach wants the BCCI and the national selectors to give Kohli a break post the conclusion of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to ensure that Kohli doesn’t lose the 6-7 years of cricket that is still left in him at the top level.
He said “When I was coach at the time when this first started, the first thing I said is ‘you have to show empathy to the guys’. If you’re going to be forceful, there is a very thin line there, from a guy losing the plot as opposed to him hanging in there and giving his best. So you have to be extremely careful,” Ravi Shastri said on Star Sports after RCB’s win over LSG on Tuesday.
Kohli had given up RCB’s captaincy following the conclusion of IPL 2021 last year. The expectations were high from the superstar batter this season as he was playing without the extra baggage of leading the side. However, his performances have not been up to the mark as he has struggled for consistency.
Kohli has so far managed only 119 runs in seven matches for his franchise at a strike rate of 123.96 and a poor average of 19.83. The former RCB skipper’s form is a huge concern for both his franchise and the Indian team ahead of the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia later this year.