Former Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Akhtar has backed Virat Kohli to do well in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He said if you have to get a batsman fit, tell him there is a match against Pakistan and he will wake up.
Indian cricket team batsman Virat Kohli lacks confidence and has not been able to score as many runs as he would have liked. The top batsman, though he scored a ton in the first game in Australia, failed in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy as he managed only around 190 runs.
Virat Kohli’s form worries India ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025
Kohli being out of form will no doubt be a big worry for the Indian national cricket team heading into the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, with the kind of player he is and ODIs being a completely different game, it won’t be a surprise if he gives his all in the tournament.
Kohli has been nothing short of exceptional in ODIs. The Indian national cricket team’s top batsman was awarded the player of the tournament at the 2023 ICC World Cup, where he amassed more than 750 runs, the most by any batsman in a single edition of the tournament.
Virat Kohli has always been the best in ICC tournaments
Kohli was one of the main reasons why the Indian national cricket team reached the finals of the ICC World Cup 2023. And with his history of success in major tournaments, he could be a valuable asset to the team in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Amidst his poor form and the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 around the corner, a reporter asked Shoaib Akhtar, “Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have not been scoring runs of late. Do you think that will affect them in the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025?”
If you have to wake up Virat Kohli, tell him it’s a match against Pakistan and he will wake up – Shoaib Akhtar
Responding to this, Shoaib Akhtar came up with a stunning reply, saying that if you want Kohli to score runs, tell him there is a match against Pakistan. He emphasized that the batsman automatically wakes up when India plays against the arch-rivals.
He also recalled the batsman’s innings in Melbourne during the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 before expressing his confidence in Babar Azam’s return to form. He explained:
“If you have to wake up Virat Kohli, tell him it’s a match against Pakistan and he will wake up. The knock he played in Melbourne. He will wake up. Many players come who have no problem. Hopefully Pakistan’s Babar Azam will come and show will his skills.”
Reporter : Virat & Rohit have not been scoring runs lately, do you think it will affect them in CT?
Shoaib Akhtar: If you want to wake up Virat Kohli, just tell him there is a match against Pak 🤣🔥 pic.twitter.com/UbamHERmfK— Pallavi (@Pallavi_paul21) January 13, 2025
Kohli’s record against Pakistan was nothing short of exceptional. The batsman of the Indian national cricket team has always given his best against the arch-rivals. In the 16 ODIs he played against them, he scored 678 runs at an average of around 53, with three centuries and two half-centuries.
