Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s poor form has been a major topic of discussion ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, slated to be held in Pakistan and UAE from February 19 to March 9.
While Rohit seemed to have regained his form with a match-winning hundred (119) in the second ODI against England at Cuttack on Sunday (February 9), Kohli is yet to register a big score since his unbeaten hundred in the Perth Test against Australia last November.
With the Champions Trophy around the corner, legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev has advised the star batters to seek help of the former cricketers.
"When there are no runs, problems are on all sides. The best way out is to talk to cricketers, who are your 'type'. See you old videos and analyse how you used to play. You will not get the same 20-25 year old Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma, but if you see your old videos, you will get an idea. Cricket is a game of confidence. Age is a factor but that doesn't mean they have forgotten to play the game. You have to adjust," Kapil said on YouTube channel Cricket Adda.
"You can talk to cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid... Being big stars does not mean that somebody who has played less cricket than you can't tell you how to play. The coach may not be of your level but still you listen to him. Sometime, you can talk to outsiders."
In the wake of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy debacle, the calls for retirement grew louder as Rohit and Kohli failed to live up to the expectations.
Kapil said fans' anger is justified if top stars don't perform well. "He (Rohit) is a big player. I hope he returns to form quickly. I will say good luck to the coach. It takes time to settle in. The whole country is looking forward to the side's performance. In the recent times, the side played well for some time. The team looks unsettled. When the captain's form is poor, the team has problems," the former captain stated.
"The team has not done well, it's justified that the fans are angry. When these players came back after winning the T20 World Cup, the crazy scenes, I have never seen in my life. So, when they do bad, criticism follows. That's what I say, don't praise the players so much, that they can't handle. And then criticise them below the belt. This is my thought," he further remarked.
