Ambati Rayudu has backed Virat Kohli to rediscover his form with the same technique. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha/File)
Former India batter Ambati Rayudu has backed a struggling Virat Kohli to rediscover his mojo and urged fans to not resort to excessive criticsm.
Kohli’s Ranji Trophy return this week after 12 years was amidst massive fanfare in his hometown for Delhi against Railways. While Kohli did not bat on the opening day of the fixture, the spectator count had shot up to nearly 12,000 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on day 1.
The former India captain came into bat at No. 4 for Delhi in their pursuit of the first-innings lead on Friday, greeted by rapturous applause by fans. However, the 36-year-old Kohli’s perils against deliveries in the off-stump channel and slightly beyond persisted before he was ousted by Railways seamer Himanshu Sangwan. The right-arm medium pacer’s nip-backing delivery uprooted Kohli’s off-stump, ending his 23-minute stay for six runs off 15 balls.
Right now Virat Kohli dsnt need Ranji.His technique was good for 81 hundreds nd it will be good going forward as https://t.co/74HewkmLjd one shud force him into forcing himself for anything.He needs time to feel good about everything again.The spark within will ignite on its…
— ATR (@RayuduAmbati) February 1, 2025
Rayudu, however, came out in defence of his former India skipper and said Kohli did not need any refinement in his batting technique.
“Right now Virat Kohli doesn’t need Ranji. His technique was good for 81 hundreds and it will be good going forward as well. No one should force him into forcing himself for anything. He needs time to feel good about everything again. The spark within will ignite on its own. Basically respect and believe in him, most importantly leave him alone,” Rayudu wrote on X.
With Delhi registering an innings victory over Railways, Kohli will return to white-ball action next week during India’s ODI series against England, starting in Nagpur on February 6.
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