The Asia Cup 2022 is all set to begin on August 27, and all eyes will be on Indian superstar Virat Kohli, who will be back in action after being rested for the recent series against West Indies and Zimbabwe.
The Men in Blue will start their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on August 28 in Dubai, and fans are hoping to see Kohli back in form during the high-voltage contest. Notably, the former India skipper has been going through a rough patch in international cricket for a long time, and it’s been over 1000 days since he hit his last international century.
Ahead of the multi-team event, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has shared his thoughts on the red-hot topic stating that the break would have definitely helped Kohli, and the world will now see him a lot calmer and one with ༒no baggage.
“I haven’t spoken to him but it’s not rocket science. Big players wake up in due course. They need a break; mental fatigue can creep in to the best in the world. There is a not a single player in world cricket who has not gone through a bad patch and I am sure this downtime is not just for the body, it’s time to reflect. He would have reflected as to what things he could have done better,” said Shastri in a presser organised by Star Sports – the official broadcaster of Asia Cup 2022.
Shastri reckoned that Kohli is a run machine wh﷽ose hunger and passion for the game remain undiminished, and one half-century from him will shut the mouths of critics.
“He will come back with a calmer mind because the heat is off. You have been away. Now, what you do will get the tone. He gets a fifty in the very first game, mouths will be shut for the rest of the tournament. What’s happened in the past is history. Remember, public memory is very short. So it works both ways. His opportunity here is to get that calmness and then take it one day at a time,” added Shastri.