‘Let him practice’: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reacts to Virat Kohli’s lean patch ahead of Asia Cup 2022
Senior batter Virat Kohli’s form is a huge concern for the Indian team ahead of the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE. The premier tournament is all set to get underway on August 27 with India locking horns with Pakistan in a marquee clash at the Dubai International Stadium in Dubai on August 28.
Kohli, who is currently on a break, will return to action for the Men in Blue in the tournament and will be hoping to bounce back to form. Kohli has endured a lean patch in international cricket for a while now and has not scored a century for the Indian team for almost three years now.
Kohli was last seen in action for the Indian team during their tour of England earlier this year. He had a disastrous run with the willow as the former India skipper flopped across all three formats of the game.
Amid his poor form, Board Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has backed the senior batter to roar back to form. Ganguly urged Kohli to practice more and play more matches while expressing confidence in his abilities.
“Let him practice, let him play matches. He is a big player and has scored plenty of runs. I am hopeful that he will make a comeback. He is just not being able to score a century and I believe he will find his form in the Asia Cup,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by India Today.
Kohli has been a prolific run-getter in the Asia Cup over the years, averaging over 60 in the tournament. The former India skipper had missed the last edition of the tournament in 2018 when Rohit Sharma led India to a memorable title triumph after a win over Bangladesh in the final.
India will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan and will be hoping to get off to a winning start. The Men in Blue had lost against Pakistan in the last meeting between the two sides at the T20 World Cup 2021 last year and will be hopeful of avenging their defeat this time around.
While the players will undoubtedly be under massive pressure in the high-profile clash, Ganguly believes the much-awaited encounter should be seen as just another game.
“I am seeing it as the Asia Cup. I do do not see any tournament as India vs Pakistan. When I used to be in my playing days, India vs Pakistan was just another match for me. I always looked to win the tournament,” said the former India captain.
