IPL 2022: Virat Kohli showing glimpses of regaining clarity of thought, says Ravi Shastri

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri reckons Virat Kohli is showing glimpses of regaining clarity of thought after relinquishing captaincy duties from Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Shastri feels it is not easy for modern-day players to play within the bio bubbles and Kohli has taken the right call to quit the leadership role.

Kohli had also said he wants to enjoy his batting and thus decided to give up on the captaincy role. Shastri stated Kohli looked good in RCB’s opening match of the season as he scored 41 runs off 29 balls to help his team post 205 runs against Punjab Kings.

The talisman stitched a fine alliance of 118 runs with Faf du Plessis but their effort went in vain as they lost by five wickets. On the other hand, Kohli was dismissed after scoring only 12 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders as he meddled with an outside off-stump delivery from Umesh Yadav.

“Clutter When you are in bubbles, when you are going through a routine that cricket has not seen in the last 40-50 years, you can get into a rut. The clarity of thought that used to be there isn’t there,” Shastri told Star Sports.

“Now with the burden of captaincy not there. he can now think for himself and not be worried about anything else. That clarity of thought might come back, we saw glimpses of that in the last game. “You want to have complete intent when you are looking to do something. When that clarity is there, he will do it,” he added.

Meanwhile, Kohli got off to an amazing start against KKR as he scored two boundaries against Umesh Yadav off the first two deliveries he faced. Shastri feels Kohli should have left the ball he got out to, instead of chasing it. The renowned commentator feels Kohli’s dismissal was due to a loss of concentration.

“You will sit down and ask him ‘what were you trying?’. On a track that was offering so much (to the bowlers), in the hindsight, you could say he should have probably left it. He got off to a great start. He looked a million dollars in the 10 minutes he was at the crease.

“I would say (the reason for the dismissal) was more a loss of concentration. Your hands go away from the body, and you at the ball. In a better moment, on another day, you probably would have left it alone.

“You would have waited for the bowlers to bowl at you. He was batting second, he could afford to play the waiting game, knowing you were chasing only 129,” Shastri said.

RCB will next lock horns against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday.