Former India Coach Ravi Shastri claimed that talk about his form would be put to rest if Virat Kohli manages to knock a fifty in the opening game of 2022 Asia Cup.

On August 28, India will face their greatest rival Pakistan in the opening match of the T20 tournament. Kohli will then commence playing competitive cricket after a five weeks break.

Kohli was last seen playing on the England Tour, and he has not played since then, skipping India’s trips to the West Indies and Zimbabwe. There have been questions for the India captain’s place in the T20I format due to his recent performance in international cricket.

Ravi shared that he has not spoken to Virat Kohli for a while, but believes that Kohli’s rest before the Asia Cup was beneficial since it allowed him to reflect and if he scores fifty against Pakistan, everyone’s mouth will be shut. 

“One inning may make or break a game. He only needs one inning to recover because his hunger remains unabated. What has occurred in the past is history. Remember that public memory is limited” Ravi Shastri said in a presser arranged by Star Sports ahead of the Asia Cup.

Virat Kohli as the fittest player in the Indian squad

Spending time with his family and traveling helped him relax following stressful seasons in professional sports. Currently, the former skipper has taken breaks between series. He played only T20s out of India’s 21 thus far.

Given a strong T20 record against Pakistan, Kohli has a great chance to reclaim his form in India’s opening faceoff of the Asia Cup against their bitter rivals.

He has 311 runs with an average of 77.75 in his seven games against Pakistan. He also darned out 35 fours and 5 sixes, going unbeaten three times.