Ahead of the World Cup 2023, former India head coach Greg Chappell has claimed that veteran batter Virat Kohli will score a lot of runs for the Men in Blue and will be crucial to the Indian Cricket Team’s World Cup campaign. He also further added how once he told Sachin Tendulkar tode clutter thoughts from his head to bat well. Chappell believes that Kohli too needs a similar mindset to play well in the upcoming World Cup.
“Let me take you back a little bit. When I was coach of India, Sachin called me one morning and wanted to come and see me. When he came into my room the first question he asked was “Why does batting get more difficult over time?”
I remember telling him that over time you learn a lot and process all the information in your subconscious mind. As a talented youngster cutting your teeth in international cricket, all you do is see and hit the ball. You are not concerned about reputation, about pressure or about expectations. However, with time things change. With experience, you know what to expect, what the opposition bowlers are expected to bowl to you and how much the country wants you to succeed,” Greg Chappell while speaking on RevSportz as part of the World Cup edition of the Backstage With Boria said.
“All this information is there in your mind and can cause problems. The opponents too know much more about you over time and are better prepared. If you want to bat freely, you need to de-clutter your mind of all this information. You need to be mentally prepared and do so with a free mind.
That’s the key. If you are able to free yourself up mentally, you can bat the way you did early on in your career and control the game. That’s what Virat was able to do in the last World T-20 in Australia against Pakistan.
If you go and see that innings again the one thing that will stand out is the kind of shots he played. He did not back away and try to slog, he did not charge the bowler and most of his shots were conventional cricket shots played according to the merit of the ball. In my book it was the perfect batting masterclass by the master himself,” he said.
“I am sure Virat will want to be in a similar mental space in this world cup. If he can approach the tournament in a free mind and prepare well, which he always does, he will score a lot of runs for India and will be a key influence in the competition,” added Greg Chappell.
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When asked if he sees Asian teams dominate like it has happened in 2011 the last time the World Cup was played in India, Chappell said, “Home advantage makes a huge difference and I am very sure India will start favourites on home soil. When I was coach of India one thing I observed was that the Indians are very comfortable in dealing with any challenges thrown at them by any opposition at home.
I think they have a good chance in home conditions. Having said that, winning these tournaments is never easy. So I would urge caution if you are an Indian fan. Be cautiously optimistic. While India will have a very good chance, if things don’t go your way you should not be heartbroken for it can happen in sport. Some of the other teams like Australia and England are very good teams and with the IPL, the aura of the conditions have been somewhat demystified over time.”
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