Virat Kohli’s return to competitive action in the IPL has generated significant excitement. He last appeared for India on January 18 during an ODI against New Zealand and has since stepped away from Tests and T20Is. Despite that, his form in the 50-over format has remained strong. Free from the demands of multiple formats, Kohli has looked refreshed and more expressive at the crease. In his last six ODIs, he registered five scores above fifty, including three centuries, underlining his consistency and control while batting with greater freedom and clarity.
While many batters could need time to find their rhythm after a break of over two months, Mohammad Kaif doesn’t expect that to be the case with Kohli. He believes Kohli’s experience and ability to switch formats with ease will help him settle quickly and suggested that the break may actually work in Kohli’s favour, allowing him to return mentally fresh.
“It will not make a difference. In fact, it will benefit him as he is coming from a break with a fresh mind. Making that switch is normal for him as he has been doing it for years even for India. I would say it would be difficult if it was some other batter. Look at the IPL before he took T20I retirement, he scored there. He won the MOM in the final then. There are very few players who can adjust that switch. This period, specially Test retirement, has not been easy for him. He is even playing aggressively in white-ball now, the strike-rate is there. He has improved his game and now he has fixed his mind that till he plays, he will make it known to his critics that he is Virat Kohli,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“Virat Kohli will not accept any complacency”
Kaif also highlighted Kohli’s relentless drive, stressing that the former RCB skipper is unlikely to let standards drop despite the team coming in as defending champions. Emphasising Kohli’s intensity and leadership influence within the group, he said: “Virat Kohli will not accept any complacency. They will not take it lightly, having won the title. Kohli always starts from zero. I am not talking about Patidar here. If Kohli sees that someone is not putting that effort or that energy is not there, he will be the first one to call people and tell them we are here to win. Till you have a player like him, no one can take the nets or matches lightly. He will take nothing less than a trophy now. In terms of commitment, he is going to keep everyone on their toes. He will come in with a lot of hunger and the will to make winning a habit now.”
