Champions Trophy 2025: Virat Kohli is ready to take with Pakistan’s spin threat

The inability of Virat Kohli to handle spin is one obvious feature of his declining batting form in red-ball cricket. His percentage of dismissals against spin in the ODIs since 2022 is 47.22 percent. However, the controversy surrounding his battle throughout the format has gained a lot of attention. In 115 innings since 2022, the right-handed batter has been removed 42 times out of 101 occasions. which adds up to 41.58 percent as a whole.

This particular facet of Virat Kohli shift in strategy has been brought to light by numerous former cricket players.

Aakash Chopra and Harbhajan Singh, for example, were crucial following his dismissal to Rishad Hossain in the opening Champions Trophy 2025 match.

This is not only the case with Kohli; during India’s Test series against New Zealand, when visiting spinners Mitchell Santner and Ajaz Patel shared significant wickets, the struggles of other Indian hitters against spin were exposed.

“It goes on to show that no matter how big you are, your reputation will not count. But what you do there, the intent that you show, will take you forward. I certainly believe that slower bowlers, leggies, have given him some sort of discomfort. He needs to come up with some plan against leggies. He needs to find a way to convert those dot balls into singles,” Harbhajan Singh told India Today.

On Sunday, India will face Pakistan.

Virat Kohli, who overtook Sachin Tendulkar in terms of most ODI cricket centuries during World Cup 2023, looked at ease when playing spin and his batting average overall was a brilliant 95.62 having played all games. On Sunday, February 23, Team India will play Pakistan, who will have spinners in their playing XI. As a result, the legendary batter has been practicing his skills to tackle the spin deliveries. He will try to regain the lost plot in the ongoing ICC event.