Dinesh Karthik advises Virat Kohli to return to domestic cricket
What's the story
Former Indian wicketkeeper-batsman, Dinesh Karthik, has given some honest advice to Virat Kohli as he continues to struggle in Test cricket. Karthik advised Kohli to return to domestic cricket to find his form. The advice comes after Kohli's poor performance in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand, where he has only scored 88 runs in four innings.
Performance dip
Kohli's form: A factor in India's series loss
Karthik emphasized Kohli's repeated dismissals by spinners as a major concern. "It's obviously a recurring pattern where spinners have troubled him, and I think he will go and figure out what he needs to do to come out stronger," Karthik told Cricbuzz. He also pointed out that Kohli's form has led to India's first home Test series loss since 2012, a far cry from his previous brilliant run between 2012-2019.
Return strategy
Karthik's suggestion for Kohli's comeback
Karthik feels a return to domestic cricket could work wonders for Kohli. "What he needs to do, is probably go back to domestic cricket and focus on what needs to be done with the current rules of DRS," Karthik said. He stressed this might help Kohli tackle his struggles against left-arm spinners, who have troubled him the most in recent matches.
Expert opinions
Chopra and Kumble echo concerns over Kohli's form
Former opener Aakash Chopra also voiced concern over Kohli's form, saying his lack of runs has affected India's results in the ongoing Test series against New Zealand. Former India head coach Anil Kumble opined that playing domestic cricket ahead of the long Test season could have helped Kohli. He said being in an actual game is more beneficial than just practice, and could have helped Kohli prepare for the challenges he's currently facing.