"He is trying a bit too hard.." Anil Kumble reckons out-of-form Virat Kohli needs to "relax a little bit"
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Virat Kohli was dismissed for 22 runs against Bangladesh in ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
India defeated Bangladesh by six wickets to begin their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a win in Dubai on February 20.
Shubman Gill starred for India, scoring an unbeaten 101 off 129 balls to guide the Men in Blue to victory in a tricky chase. Despite the comprehensive win, several Indian fans were left disappointed by Virat Kohli‘s lack of runs in the contest.
The 36-year-old struggled throughout his 38-ball stay, managing 22 runs with only one four. Before the start of the Champions Trophy, Kohli had scored 5 and 52 in the second and third ODIs of the home series against England.
Former India captain Anil Kumble has now shared his views on Kohli’s recent form.
Anil Kumble reckons out-of-form Virat Kohli needs to “relax a little bit”
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo Match Day, Kumble emphasized that Kohli is “trying too hard” to score runs.
Kumble said, “Having been through a lean patch, so to speak, especially in white-ball cricket – he hasn’t had that kind of run for a long period of time – I feel he’s trying a bit too hard.“
The former leg-spinner pointed out that legendary players sometimes put themselves under unnecessary pressure to perform.
He added, “You have that in players who have been there and done that before, and everyone sort of looks up to you saying he’s the guy who’s going to take the game away and he’s the one guy who is the important man in the team.“
“I think he’s trying a bit too hard. You can see that in the way he is going about his innings. He just needs to not worry about it.“
India will face arch-rivals Pakistan on February 23 in their second group-stage match of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai. The Indian management will hope for Kohli to regain his form in this crucial contest.
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