Published: May 13, 2025, 06:45 PM (IST)
Edited: May 13, 2025, 06:45 PM (IST)
Former Indian batting coach Bharat Arun stated that even though he is known for his intensity and unwavering desire to win, Virat Kohli never used to like practice matches, and preferred net sessions with pacers as they bowled him from 16 yards.
Arun was once the part of the main coaching group when Virat Kohli was at the peak times of his captaining days, and described those days to be the “best moments” of his career.
“Indian and world Test cricket will miss him and his persona. I have spent some of my best moments as India’s bowling coach with Virat Kohli as captain,” Arun told PTI during an interaction.
“He never liked practice matches,” Arun recalled.
“He always felt the intensity was somehow missing and never really enjoyed practice games. Instead, he would want to spend more time at the nets and would always choose the spiciest wicket and get bowlers to bowl at him from 16 yards — or take throw downs from 16 yards,” he further stated.
Arun recalled what he stated to be the anchoring moment before the Boxing Day Test in 2018 against Australia which the series being locked at 1-1.
“Virat had just scored a fantastic hundred at Perth but we did not win that match,” he said.
“Going into Melbourne, it was Virat who literally changed the dressing room mindset. He made everyone believe that we could do it and went about his business as leader in a manner unrivalled,” he added
India won that Test and sealed a historic series victory, their first on Australian soil.
“He respected the format more than anything else and will be missed,” Arun concluded.
There was once a time when Virat Kohli used to perform magnificently with the bat. Kohli used to be known as the ‘Real King’ in Test format. He played a total of 84 matches and scored 7202 runs during this time. He has played at an average of 54.97 and also scored 27 centuries. Even though Virat Kohli was once the king of the red-ball format, his performance declined since 2020. He played 39 Test matches since 2020, and his average fell down to 30.72. He also only scored three centuries.
Throughout his career, Virat Kohli played 123 Test matches for India, and scored 9230 runs. His average is of 46.83, and his performance has seen a steep fall in the past few years. Kohli has managed to score only 1990 runs in 37 matches that he player in the last 5 years.
