IPL 2022: Ravi Shastri said that if Virat Kohli can add the sweep shot to his arsenal, spinners will find it difficult to decide how to bowl to him.
Few know Virat Kohli as a cricketer as well as Ravi Shastri does, with the two forming a tight partnership during the latter’s tenure as Team India head coach. The former India head coach had some tips for Kohli as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 season got underway. Kohli looked in good nick in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) first match of the season as he scored an unbeaten 41 off 29 deliveries to help them post a total of 205/2 against Punjab Kings.
He looked good against pace and spin alike, and made good use of his feet against the latter.
However, Ravi Shastri feels that he should start using the sweep shot more frequently and with “freedom” to add another dimension to his game.
“The thing I liked most about Virat was his fluency,” Shastri told ESPNcricinfo about Kohli’s knock against Punjab Kings.
“He was prepared to use his feet against the spinners. Now he has to bring out the sweep. It’s a very important shot. He doesn’t play it much, but he should, with freedom,” he went on to say.
Shastri suggested that Kohli can do away with facing throwdown specialist D Raghavendra and fast-bowlers in the nets for now, as he has a lot of experience against pace.
“The four days you get in the nets, he should get rid of Raghu, and the fast bowlers – he has played them a lot in the last one-and-a-half to two years. Get a spinner and keep playing the sweep. Because if he uses his feet and starts to play the sweep, any spinner will think twice, thrice about what to bowl,” Shastri advised.
Kohli of course did not get a chance to use the sweep shots as he was out in the third over of RCB’s chase of 128 against KKR. RCB, however, went on to complete the chase in a low-scoring thriller to register their first win of the season.
