Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting believes struggling Indian batter Virat Kohli will regain his form soon and backed him to play in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.
He also stated that the presence of Kohli in the Indian team at the T20 World Cup 2022 would make opposition teams and players fearful. The former coach suggested that Indian team management should try to make Kohli feel as comfortable as possible, and give him confidence in his worst moments.
Ponting also wants India to have patience with Kohli during the early stages of the T20 World Cup 2022, as he is confident that the right-hander will be unstoppable at the end of the mega event in Australia.
Ricky Ponting said on The ICC Review Show: “I think if I was an opposition captain or an opposition player, I will be fearing playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli in it, more than I would be one that doesn't have him in it. I know there have been some challenges for him, it's been a difficult time.”
He further explained, “But every great player that I have seen in this game has been through it at some stage, whether that's a batsman or a bowler, they have all been through it. And somehow, the best (players) find a way to rebound and respond, and it's only a matter of time before Virat does that.”
If you leave Virat out of the eve of the World Cup, and someone comes in and has a reasonable tournament, it will be hard for Virat to get back in it. If I was India, I will keep pushing with him, because I know the upside. If they actually get him back confident and playing as well as he can, that upside is better than most. So I think if I was a captain or a coach, I will be making life as easy as possible for him to feel as comfortable as possible, and just wait for him to flick the switch and start scoring runs again.”
Explaining how India can get the best of Kohli in the T20 World Cup 2022, Ponting said: “Early in the tournament, for a first-round game, (it’s important too) get him in nice and early, among the runs, and then hopefully by the end of the tournament, you’ll have Virat Kohli back at his best. That’s the way I would look at it.”
He further added, “I wouldn’t think about holding him back at the start of the tournament, with the thought that you might be able to bring him back towards the back end and have him peak. Tournament play isn’t like that. You need to work your way into the tournament, get some runs under your belt, get some confidence, and then be playing your best cricket at the back end.”
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Ponting is also against the idea of changing Kohli's batting position and urged the Indian team management to give him his No. 3 spot and leave him to score runs there. The former skipper added: “They probably should be trying to find new ways to get him back into the form and help him out. That (moving him up the order) quite often comes at the expense of someone else as well, you are moving someone else around trying to find a spot for Virat. He has opened the batting, he has batted at No.3 in the IPL in the last couple of years, and has done the same for India. Moving him around will make him feel that people are worried about him, and he will be more unsettled.”
He signed off by saying, “I will be going the other way. If I was the coach of the captain, I would be telling him, 'This is your spot, this is where you're batting, it's not going to change. Keep believing in yourself, keep putting in the hard work, keep believing in what made you the best player in the world for a number of years – get back to those thoughts and the runs will come'.”
