Virat Kohli failed to make a mark in India’s Champions Trophy 2025 opener against Bangladesh. The star batter was dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain for 22 off 38 balls at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In the chase of 229, Kohli came to the crease when India were 69/1 but he struggled to get into any rhythm before eventually cutting Rishad to backward point.

Speaking on Star Sports, former cricketer Robin Uthappa weighed in on Kohli’s dismissal, saying that the Indian stalwart is currently caught in a mental battle rather than just a technical slump.

Uthappa noted that Kohli is more fixated on middling the ball rather than focusing on run-scoring, which is affecting his natural flow.

“Virat, the great batter that he is, will have to address himself because, I think in a sense he's in his head a little bit. It feels like that from the outside. It feels like he's looking to middle the ball versus when he actually is batting well, he's looking to get runs," Uthappa said.

"He's not worried about middling the ball because the intent itself is different. And I think he's trying to break free from that space of trying to middle the ball versus scoring runs and he's finding himself caught in between is what I'm feeling from the outside. I think it's a matter of time, the minute he frees his head up and just goes out there and expresses himself, the runs will flow,” he added.

During his innings, Virat Kohli looked tentative, playing nine consecutive dot balls before opening his account. Bangladesh’s Tanzim Hasan Sakib and Mehidy Hasan Miraz kept him under pressure before Rishad Hossain got rid of him. His slow knock included only one boundary.

In addition to Kohli’s mindset, Uthappa also highlighted a technical flaw that might be hampering his stroke-making ability.

“I do think there's a slight technical adjustment that he needs to make. Generally, his bat comes from the 2nd slip or 3rd slip. When he scored most of his runs, his bat generally comes from the 2nd or 3rd slip. Right now you see it's coming from right at the wicketkeeper or 1st slip. And from there, every time he looks to play the cover driver or on the offside, he's gonna not come with a full face of his bat,” Uthappa stated.

"He's gonna come with maybe 50-60% of his bat, and that also will make that cover drive, his favourite shot, a very dangerous shot to play. So, it's something that he will have to kind of figure out, and I hope someone speaks to him about it and helps him figure that piece out, because I think that one bit will make a huge difference. I think he's searching for his feel and form, and it's a very natural thing to happen when you're short of runs, and I think it's a matter of time,” he remarked.

Virat Kohli will now look to make amends in India’s next Champions Trophy match against arch-rivals, scheduled for February 23 in Dubai.