New Delhi: Star Indian batter Virat Kohli is reportedly said to have approached former Indian cricketer Sanjay Bangar for assisting him with batting drills ahead of his return to the Ranji Trophy setup. The Delhi player, who last played in India’s premier domestic competition in 2012, has been struggling with consistency.
In India’s last tour of Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, Kohli made 190 runs in nine innings at an average of 23.75 with just one century in the series opener in Perth being the highlight of the former Indian captain’s series down under.
In the aftermath of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issuing diktat for Indian internationals to play domestic cricket, many regular players of the Indian Test side have turned up for their respective state association teams as the Ranji Trophy resumed with its second phase.
Virat Kohli trains with Sanjay Bangar
Kohli was not available to play against Saurashtra in their penultimate match due to a neck sprain issue, but he will be available to take the field for Delhi’s last Ranji Trophy match against Railways at the Arun Jaitley Stadium from January 30 onwards.
According to a report by news agency PTI, Kohli was training with Bangar, who was the batting coach of the Indian men’s team from 2014 to 2019, in a facility in Mumbai. He was feeded with throwdowns from 16 yards with focus on playing the bouncy deliveries and make his backfoot game much stronger. The other planning was to develop his range of strokes to play square of the wicket.
The reason to reach out to Bangar was his comfortability with the former Indian cricketer, who also served as the head coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL. Kohli has been a regular member of the United Spirits-owned franchise in the IPL.
Kohli’s return to the domestic circuit has been much anticipated as the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) has opened up two stands.
Virat Kohli is preparing for his Ranji Trophy return after a long hiatus, working with former Indian batting coach Sanjay Bangar on drills focusing on improving his backfoot play and square of the wicket shots. The training sessions, held in Mumbai, aim to enhance Kohli’s batting consistency ahead of the crucial match against Railways. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
