India’s star cricketer Virat Kohli was spotted practicing backfoot shots at the Arun Jaitley Stadium during his first training session with the Delhi team. Kohli joined ahead of his much-awaited Ranji Trophy return after 2012, where Delhi will face Railways in the group stage on January 30. Fans gathered eagerly near the nets as Kohli began training.
Focus on fitness and technique
Before batting, Kohli did light running and stretching exercises. He batted for 45 minutes, facing five pace bowlers and two left-arm spinners. While mainly defending on the front foot, he was beaten once by a fast bowler. However, his impressive backfoot play focuses on cut and pull shots.
Delhi player Arpit Rana shared his excitement, saying, “It felt great to share the dressing room with him. We chatted about the game and normal things. When he comes tomorrow (for training), we will talk about the upcoming match specifically,” he told India Today.
Dipping form in Test cricket
Virat Kohli is having a tough time in red-ball cricket. Talking about his past tour to Australia for the 5-match Border Gavaskar Trophy, Kohli scored 185 runs. His form declined after hitting a century in the first match in Perth. In the last four Tests, he managed only 85 runs, as India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series 1-3.
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Preparing for future challenges
Kohli trained in Alibaug with former coach Sanjay Bangar, using a special setup to practice challenging deliveries. During India’s Australia tour, experts noted Kohli’s struggles with backfoot play. The upcoming match against Railways offers Kohli a chance to regain form before the ODI series against England on February 6 and the Champions Trophy starting on 19th February. His performance will be very important for India as the batter is having a tough time in Test cricket.
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