‘It’s not until you actually stop do you realise how fatigued you are’ – Ponting dissects Virat Kohli’s struggles

Multiple prominent names have put forth their views on Virat Kohli’s barren run with the bat for India and for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL. And now, former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has joined the bandwagon as he dissected what could be holding the Indian great back.

In an episode for the ‘ICC Review’, Ponting, who has been a huge admirer of Kohli, also talked about the constantly advised need for the player to take a break amidst the drought of runs. 

It’s been over two and a half years since Kohli last scored an international hundred. The former India captain has also been struggling to maintain a healthy level of consistency in Tests, ODIs and T20Is in a phase that has also witnessed a genuine dip in his returns in the IPL for RCB. 

Ponting deems Kohli’s struggles a form issue but supports need for a break 

For Ponting, the third-highest run-scorer in international cricket, Kohli is going through more of a form issue than suffering from a decline in his skill and ability. 

“It (poor form) is going to happen to everyone at some stage. Virat’s probably had a 10 or 12-year run where hasn’t had many down times,” said Ponting in an episode of the ‘ICC Review’.

“But there was a lot of talk and conjecture around the IPL about how tired and burnt out he might be. That’s for him to work out and assess and find ways to improve, whether it’s a technical thing or a mental thing. I’m sure, being the absolute professional that he is, that he’ll work it out and work it out pretty quickly.”

Ponting’s remarks on form, not skill decline, ailing Kohli make for an interesting debate in itself, given the batter’s well documented technical issues against swing movement in Tests and a worrying, elongated period of slip-ups versus spin in T20 cricket. 

But he indirectly agreed with one general opinion doing the rounds, with big names – including Kohli’s strongest confidant Ravi Shastri – advocating an immediate break from the busy calendar for the “cooked” batter. Ponting said very often players, so used to regularly turning up to the ground, don’t realise how tired they actually are. 

“One thing I do know from experience is that quite often you bluff yourself as a player that you’re not actually tired, that you’re not physically or mentally tired,” said the two-time World Cup winning captain.

“You always find a way to get yourself up for training, you always find a way to get yourself up for game. It’s not until you actually stop and have a couple of days do you realise how tired and fatigued you are.”