Former BCCI chief selector MSK Prasad said that a much-needed break before the Asia Cup 2022 did wonders for Virat Kohli, as the star batter returned to his old beast mode with the bat. Seeing Kohli rule the pitch with the bat once again, the former wicketkeeper feels the 34-year-old should have taken a break after the T20 World Cup 2021 to return to his best frame of mind.
Prasad further said that the break has prolonged Kohli's career for 4-5 years and that it has also made him a better player and a stronger person after he went through a difficult time for nearly three years.
His comments came after the right-hander produced a Player of the Series performance in the ODI series against Sri Lanka. However, Kohli has been in great form since the Asia Cup 2022.
MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by Rediff: “I feel the break has actually pushed his career forward by 4-5 years. He is the sort of character who needs challenges, and he has accepted that challenge and gone through. He took a lovely break and he understood himself well and we have got back the Virat Kohli of the old. He actually needed a mental break more than anything else.”
Prasad continued, “He had a little bit of a tough time, but he kept on playing so that has piled up a lot. I felt he should have taken a break long time back, maybe soon after the (T20) World Cup (2021). Ever since he has taken the break before the Asia Cup (in 2022), we have got back the original Virat Kohli, whom we saw scoring lot of runs like in 2016.”
He concluded, “He is at his best now, he is in the right frame of mind. I am sure the tough times he has gone through in the last couple of years will only make him a better player and a stronger personality.”
