Sanjay Manjrekar counsels Virat Kohli to go into the Champions Trophy 2025 match against Pakistan “with a relaxed mind.”

Sanjay Manjrekar, the former cricket player who is now a broadcaster, believed that instead of attempting to overdo it with long net sessions against spinners during practice, Kohli would be better off trusting his skills and going with the flow.

When India plays Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025 on Sunday, February 23 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, all eyes will be on star batsman Virat Kohli. Recently, Kohli’s batting performance in the 50-over format has been incredibly lackluster. Additionally, he has struggled to attack leg-spinners, as evidenced by his dismissals to Adil Rashid (twice) and Rishad Hossain in his last three ODI games.

“You (Kohli) think about practicing too much and thinking too much while you are running a little out of form. There are instances when you simply go too far. Simply continue striking the balls into the netting. It has less to do with (the) batting technique and more to do with mentality. He has (had) some technological problems and is going through a tough moment. Despite his lack of confidence in the most recent game (against Bangladesh), he is making every effort. In an interview with The Times of India, Manjrekar said, “He just needs to calm down a little bit without trying too hard, and go out there with a relaxed mind.”

Pant is in a sorry situation: Sanjay Manjrekar

In ODIs, the former top-order batsman believed that KL Rahul would be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter and would be chosen above Rishabh Pant.

“India performed admirably (against Bangladesh), checking off the majority of the boxes. If the pitch isn’t compelling, I don’t see any significant changes. Yadav’s character Kuldeep needs a bit more playing time. (KL) Rahul scored several runs, thus I doubt a new batsman or wicketkeeper will take his place. Pant is a rare talent for India, but he will remain out till Rahul contributes. “I’m sorry for him,” he continued.

Due to a viral ailment, Pant was unable to participate in India’s pregame training session. During a press conference prior to the game, Indian vice-captain Shubman Gill confirmed the development. In August 2024, during the away series against Sri Lanka, the southpaw made his final appearance for the country in the ODI format.