Virat Kohli, the former captain and star batsman of the Indian cricket team, has received high praise from former Australia skipper and ex-India coach Greg Chappell. The Australian believes that Kohli will be a key influence for India in the upcoming ICC World Cup 2023, which starts on October 5 in India. Chappell said that Kohli can score a lot of runs and control the game if he plays with a free mind and a liberated mindset.
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Chappell recalled a conversation he had with Sachin Tendulkar when he was the coach of India. He shared how Tendulkar asked him why batting gets more difficult over time. Chappell explained that a batsman accumulates a lot of information and expectations in his subconscious mind, which can create pressure and clutter, over time He further added a batsman needs to de-clutter his mind and bat freely without being concerned about reputation, pressure, or expectations.
“I have no doubt that Virat is in that stage of his career and hence it requires a special effort to score runs. And for that, you need to decompress yourself and just keep it simple. Virat also needs to go into these games mentally fresh and he knows what he needs to do for that. If Virat can achieve that, he will have a very good tournament,” Chappel said.
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"I am sure Virat will want to be in a similar mental space in this World Cup. If he can approach the tournament in a free mind and prepare, which he always does, he will score a lot of runs for India and will be a key influence in the competition," added Greg.
The former coach also gave similar advice to Bumrah, who is recovering from a long-term injury, saying that the pacer should avoid thinking too much and just play his natural game. Chappel further admitted that India will have a home advantage and will be favourites to win the World Cup 2023.
