The Champions Trophy 2025 is underway, but Virat Kohli hasn’t quite hit his stride yet, and India’s former captain and coach Anil Kumble has something big to say about it. Anil Kumble feels Virat Kohli is pushing himself too hard to climb out of this slump, and that’s tripping him up on the field. In India’s first game against Bangladesh in the Champions Trophy 2025, Kohli made 22 runs off 38 balls, but he couldn’t stretch it into anything big and got caught out by leg-spinner Rishad Hussain. On the bright side, opener Shubman Gill blasted an unbeaten 101 to carry the team to a six-wicket win. That was Gill’s eighth ODI hundred and his first in an ICC event. KL Rahul pitched in too with an unbeaten 41, giving some solid backup. This victory gave India a cracking start to the tournament.
Kumble Weighs In on Kohli’s Rough Patch – Virat Kohli’s recent batting has got folks a bit worried. Since the 2023 World Cup, he’s only scraped together 137 runs across six ODIs, with just one fifty in the mix. Even during the five-Test tour in Australia, aside from a hundred in Perth, he’s been struggling to find his groove.
Anil Kumble, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s ‘Match Day’ show, said, “Especially in the shorter white-ball stuff, he hasn’t gone through a dry spell like this in ages. I reckon he’s trying a bit too much.” Kumble also noticed that five of Kohli’s last six outs have been to leg-spinners. He thinks Kohli’s putting too much effort into chasing runs instead of just playing his usual steady game, and it’s knocking him off track.
Pakistan Showdown Around the Corner – India’s next match is a big one against their longtime rivals Pakistan, set for Sunday in Dubai. This game matters a ton to both teams, and it’s a perfect shot for Kohli to get his mojo back. Everyone in the team and the fans are crossing their fingers he’ll soon be back to his old self, driving India ahead.
Gill and Rahul Shine Bright – Even if Kohli didn’t spark in that first match, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul totally stepped up. Gill’s century and Rahul’s cool-headed knock proved the team’s got plenty of punch. Now all the buzz is about what Kohli’s got up his sleeve for the next one.
