Is a break what Virat Kohli needs to regain his form? Ponting suggests

The forms of India's stalwarts, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, are a hot topic of discussion among the masses right now. The recently concluded Border Gavaskar Trophy saw India losing their claim on the title after a decade, as Australia beat the visitors 3-1. Falling on the wrong side of heroics, Kohli and Sharma emerged as two of the main reasons behind India's failed campaign down under. Safe to say, no one is happy about what transpired against the Aussies. Some are voicing harsh stances against the duo, some have advised them to return to the Indian domestic scene with the Ranji Trophy, while others are simply sad to witness such a downfall of their favorite players.

Virat Kohli opened the Border Gavaskar Trophy by scoring his 81st career ton in the second innings of the Perth Test. However, by the end of the five-match series, Kohli had accumulated only 190 runs. A hundred of those came in a single innings, leaving the remaining matches as a struggle for Kohli, one he clearly failed to overcome. Even more disappointing was the manner of his dismissals, which remained frustratingly consistent throughout the series. Batting in nine innings, Kohli was dismissed by nicking deliveries outside the off-stump on eight occasions. By the time the Sydney Test arrived, it had become all too easy for the Australian pacers, particularly Scott Boland, to find the edge of Kohli's bat and send him back to the dugout.

Ricky Ponting wants Virat Kohli to take a break from the game

No matter what techniques were at play in the BGT, a batter as prolific as Kohli getting out to one specific delivery time and again hints at a mental struggle as much as a technical one. Virat Kohli is a bold player, aggressive even, and fighting those deliveries might be his instinct rather than avoiding them. However, this instinct indicates how his psyche played a crucial role in his disappointing run down under, where he averaged a dismal 23.75. Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has advised the Indian batter to take a break from the sport.

Ricky Ponting observed that Virat Kohli is trying as hard as possible to regain his form. However, Ponting believes that when someone tries too hard for something, it often slips further away. The former batter explained that Kohli's struggle against leaving those deliveries, even though he knew the likely outcome, shows signs of a mental block.

"...The challenge is, and I can see it with Virat now, you can see how much he wants it. He's trying so hard that actually makes batting harder. The harder you try sometimes with batting, the less success you're going to have," Ponting noted. "Even the way that he's getting out—you can see he doesn't want to be playing at those balls. He's trying not to do it, but there's some mental block there that's making him feel for that one outside the off stump," he added.

What could possibly help Virat Kohli in this situation? A break from cricket, suggests Ricky Ponting. Citing the instance of Kohli opting for a break back in 2022 when he faced a similar struggle, Ponting explained that Kohli needs to revisit this approach. Back in 2022, Kohli took a break lasting 42 days. Following his return, Kohli revealed that for a month, he did not even touch the bat. According to Ponting, taking a break is the only way for Kohli to shed the load of expectations that is preventing him from playing freely.

"A break can only help the Indian legend," said Ponting. "He had a mental break (in the past) where he stepped away for a while and then came back and found the love for the game again. So right now, it just seems like that real love of the game for him is not there because he's making it too hard to enjoy. So if he wants to continue playing Test match cricket, he might just need to have a little spell for a while, find the love for the game again," he concluded.