Mohammed Kaif feels Virat Kohli is likely to benefit from his two-month gap from cricket.© BCCI
Former India batter Mohammed Kaif has backed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) icon Virat Kohli to hit the ground running straight away during the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli will return to action after a gap of two months, having last played competitive cricket during the ODI series against New Zealand at home in January. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif suggested that while some players might encounter some rustiness after that gap, it won’t be the case with Kohli, who is in fact likely to benefit from that break.
“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,” said Kaif.
Kaif, who played with Kohli at RCB for two seasons, also said that it is highly unlikely that the 37-year-old’s levels will drop this campaign. He added that Kohli is likely to be more motivated and demanding than ever, especially with RCB entering the tournament as defending champions.
“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,” he added.
The 37-year-old Kohli played a vital role in RCB’s title win last season, scoring 657 runs in 15 innings at an average of 54.75 and a strike rate of 144.71. He finished among the top run-scorers in the tournament, contributing significantly with 66 fours and multiple fifty-plus scores.