“Virat Kohli is not in his batting zone” – Mohammad Kaif’s blunt assessment of senior batter ahead of IND vs AUS 2nd ODI

Former batter Mohammad Kaif has warned India that Virat Kohli is completely out of his batting zone following his failure in the first ODI against Australia in Perth on October 19. Ahead of the second game in Adelaide, the 44-year-old pointed out how Kohli has fallen prey to a lack of game time in the middle following his retirements from T20Is and Tests. The cricketer-turned-analyst stressed how it led to his technical flaws in the previous game.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kaif said:

“A player is only good till he has his rhythm, batting form, playing games regularly. Eyes are sharp, playing games every second or third day. When that happens, the player finds out from the hand whether the ball is in-swing or out-swing. Or whether it’s a yorker or a slower one. So, the ability to pick that is possible when you are playing regularly… You are in your batting zone." "Virat Kohli is not in his batting zone at the moment, clearly… There was a lack of rhythm, and he was out of touch, so that’s why he got out in the last match,” he added.

Kaif further warned Kohli about leg spinner Adam Zampa, who will be available for the remainder of the ODI series after missing out on the series opener in Perth. He wants senior India duo Kohli and Rohit Sharma to spend quality time at the crease to get the best out of themselves in a must-win game for the tourists. Kaif continued:

“Zampa will also be playing in the second match; he will be making a comeback… He has a good record against India, having gotten Virat Kohli out on many occasions. In my view, Australia have become a stronger team in this game as compared to the previous one… How do you play after the first spell? Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma can score big, but they need to spend some time on the crease.”

Notably, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli looked rusty while playing their first game in competitive cricket post IPL 2025. They departed for 8 and 0, respectively, in the first ODI. While Rohit was caught in the slips off Josh Hazlewood’s bowling, Mitchell Starc dismissed Kohli, caught out at backward point.

Meanwhile, it’s worth mentioning that Zampa has dismissed Kohli six times in ODIs since 2017. The right-handed batter, however, has scored 287 runs in 269 balls at an average of 47.8 against the spin bowler.

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“It’s not going to be easy; it will be tough” – Mohammad Kaif backs Rohit Sharma to play his aggressive game

Mohammad Kaif further urged Rohit Sharma to stick to his aggressive brand of cricket despite his failure in the first ODI. The cricketer-turned-commentator lauded Kohli and Rohit for making the most out of their contrasting playing styles. He said in the same video:

“Rohit Sharma will play his shots. Take charge and pull even if he gets beaten again and again. Whenever Rohit Sharma has made runs, he has played the ball in the air. The difference between Kohli and Rohit is that Kohli plays grounded shots even in the powerplay… Rohit takes on the game. He wants to dominate the bowlers. It will be the same plan for this game, and of course, it’s not going to be easy; it will be tough.”

Unfortunately, Rohit has amassed 131 runs in six ODIs in Adelaide at an average of 21.83. On the other hand, Kohli has scored 244 runs in four innings at the venue at an average of 61 with the help of two centuries.

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Edited by James Kuanal