The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has ordered Virat Kohli to follow the SOP after a run of poor red ball scores. He was given the all-clear to return to domestic cricket for the first time since 2012 in order to improve his skills. Delhi’s Ranji Trophy 2024-25 match versus Saurashtra was reportedly ruined by the right-handed batter’s neck sprain.
The former India skipper can be seen practicing in the nets for Delhi’s final league match against Railways. His former India batting instructor Sanjay Bangar’s assistance with his chances of getting back to his previous level of play has drawn particular notice to his practice. Remarkably, the 36-year-old has only amassed 190 runs with one century in Perth over the past nine innings.
For the Indian squad, Bangar has been the go-to man during his five years with Men in Blue, and his coaching has helped a number of players in addition to Kohli, according to NDTV Sports. The previous coach has been sought after by the right-handed batter to help him escape the awkward phase.
When asked for his opinion after the 2019 World Cup, Kohli gave Bangar a glowing certificate noting that, as a batter, he had benefited much from his technical comments over the years, according to a senior BCCI official who was cited by NDTV Sports.
Sanjay Bangar spent five years coaching the Indian team.
Kohli, who had only amassed two hundreds since the end of Bangar’s rule in the Indian coaching setup, has been notably impacted by the coaching staff shift. Following the 2019 World Cup, Vikram Rathore has been signed by the BCCI to replace Bangar. Since Kohli was leading the squad at the 2019 World Cup, when the BCCI asked for his opinion, he had emphasized the veteran’s coaching influence on the group.