Virat Kohli is struggling with the bat in IPL 2022, with 128 runs in 9 innings.
Former Australia cricketer and Delhi Capitals (DC) assistant coach Shane Watson believes Virat Kohli would be an automatic starter for India in all formats, stating the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star has earned the selectors' trust over a lifetime despite struggling for runs in IPL 2022.
Virat Kohli has struggled with the bat in both the international and IPL season, as his form has eluded him. Little has changed as Kohli has been going through one of his worst periods, scoring 128 runs in nine matches without a fifty in IPL 2022 and a dismal average of 16, his lowest since the IPL's initial season.
Kohli was upgraded to open the batting on Tuesday, a position where he has had a lot of success in the past, averaging over 40. Nothing changed, though, as Kohli followed with two golden ducks with a labored 9. Kohli appeared uneasy during his 10-ball knock against the Rajasthan Royals before succumbing to a bouncer from Prasidh Krishna.
Shane Watson, who played with Kohli in RCB in IPL 2017, backed the India batter to come good.
"In the end, Virat has got close to a lifetime's worth of credit. He will come good, everyone knows he will come good. It's about his decision, whether he thinks he will take some time off, whether he thinks he needs that, whether he decides to keep playing with a little bit of time to freshen up, he will be able to find it very quickly," Watson told The Grade Cricketer podcast.
"You don't lose your skill as he has got, it can be suppressed a little bit because of the situations or you're a little bit tired or whatever, it can happen in the game of cricket. No one has gone about their career scoring runs non-stop, especially in a long career. There will be little periods where there will be a little bit of downtime. But Virat, he is just so good, he will find his way. He has got a lot of credit in his bank," the Australian cricketer added.
Watson has joined the Delhi Capitals as an assistant coach, and the former Chennai Super Kings star has stressed the importance of a coach's role in assisting a top player who is going through a slump, stating it's all about keeping the player psychologically fresh.
Kohli is at a point in his career where he may find it difficult to retain the great energy he has shown over the years, therefore it's critical for him to stay mentally fresh, according to Watson.
"As a coach, you have to just be around him trying to make sure he is as mentally fresh as possible. Technically, he knows his game better than most players. It's so ingrained. Knowing that it's all around his mental freshness," Watson said.
"The intensity that he always had going into every game he played is superhuman. Knowing everyone that I have really seen, apart from a couple of guys, they have not been able to maintain that kind of intensity over years. Virat now has come to a point where it's hard to maintain. So for me, it's will be all round his mental freshness. That's just around understanding individuals. His technique is always super good," the Delhi coach added.
(With IndiaToday inputs)