Virat Kohli India v South Africa

Virat Kohli needs to shed his ego to play under a new leader after giving up the Test captaincy, India cricket icon Kapil Dev said. Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images

Virat Kohli needs a break says former India coach

Virat Kohli is burnt out and needs a break from cricket according to former India coach Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietsersen.

Virat Kohli India v South Africa

Virat Kohli needs to shed his ego to play under a new leader after giving up the Test captaincy, India cricket icon Kapil Dev said. Photo: Lee Warren/Gallo Images

Former India coach and longtime mentor of Virat Kohli, Ravi Shastri believes that the superstar batter needs a longer break from the game.

Kohli has taken a number of small breaks from the game in the last 18 months but Shastri feels he is still suffering from burnout.

A burnt out star

Royal Challengers Bangalore scored victory over Lucknow Super Giants despite a duck from Virat Kohli. However, after the match Shastri, now a part of the Star Sports commentary team opined that Kohli needs a break.

“When I was coach at the time when this first started, the first thing I said is ‘you have to show empathy to the guys’. If you’re going to be forceful, there is a very thin line there, from a guy losing the plot as opposed to him hanging in there and giving his best. So you have to be extremely careful,” Ravi Shastri told Star Sports in the post-match show.

NDTV

Virat Kohli is overcooked

Virat Kohli India
Virat Kohli quit as India Test skipper less than 24 hours after their series defeat to SA. Photo: Twitter @imVkohli

“I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it’s him.

“Whether it’s 2 months or a month-and-a-half, whether it’s after England or before England.

“He needs a break because he has got 6-7 years of cricket left in him and you don’t want to lose that with a fried brain. He is not the only one. There might be 1 or 2 in world cricket going through the same. You need to address the problem upfront,” Shastri added.

KP weighs in on Virat Kohli

Former England skipper Kevin Pietersen agreed with Shastri.

Pietersen even suggested that Virat Kohli should stay away from social media to avoid any kind of scrutiny.

“100 percent correct, Ravi. The guy has had so much to deal with, from marriage to baby to media scrutiny and all on his personal life. He is the biggest star on show.

“Virat Kohli needs to say ‘cricket boots, for six months, I will see you later’. Turn off social media, go and get re-energised. When the stadiums are full again, you guarantee him a spot in that side for the next 12, 24 or 36 months. Tell him ‘you’re our guy, we know you’ll deliver for us’.

“I think he is going to find it very hard to continue delivering now. His brain, as Ravi Shastri said, is completely fried,” Pietersen said.