Virat Kohli, ex-India skipper is all set to make a return to the Indian side for the impending Asia Cup tournament in the UAE later this month. Virat Kohli, who has been struggling with the bat, has been criticized for opting to rest for the recently-concluded West Indies tour and the upcoming Zimbabwe ODIs.

With the 33-year-old returning for the Asia Cup 2022 tournament, experts have touted Virat Kohli to make a strong return, especially with India taking on Pakistan in their opener. But ahead of the blockbuster match, a former Pakistan pacer Aaqib Javed has made a bold claim comparing Virat Kohli with Babar Azam.

Aaqib Javed: Technically Sound Player Like Babar Azam’s Rough Patches Doesn’t Continue For A Long time

Aaqib Javed opined that technically-sound batters like Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root seldom tend to suffer a rough patch as long as Virat Kohli, who has now gone 993 days without scoring an international ton.

Aaqib Javed feels that with Virat Kohli changing his technique amid his struggles, he has become conscious of his weakness and can only shrug off this poor form by batting freely and playing a big knock.

“There are two types of great players. One is players who, if they get stuck, their rough patch continues for a long time. The others are technically-sound players, whose rough patch cannot continue that long, like Babar Azam, Kane Williamson, and Joe Root. It is difficult to find their weakness. Kohli gets stuck at times with those deliveries outside off stump. James Anderson has targetted that a million times.”

“Last day I was watching him bat and I felt that he is now consciously trying not to play those deliveries from a distance. When you change your technique, these problems will surface. To come out of it, he can try playing a big knock without being conscious. That will help him sustain a purple patch for a long time,” he explained.

Virat Kohli’s last international ton had come in 2019 in a Test against Bangladesh and after that, the three-figure mark has eluded him.

Virat Kohli was last seen during the tour of England, where he could only amass 76 runs in six innings. The former India captain also had a poor home season as well as a forgettable Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign earlier this year.

Before the tour of England, the talismanic run-scorer had a forgettable time in IPL 2022 as well. Representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he scored 341 runs in 16 matches at an average of 22.73. He registered three golden ducks during the edition.

Virat Kohli Has Exceptional Batting Records Against Pakistan In T20Is

Virat Kohli enjoys playing against Pakistan, especially in the T20I format. In seven innings so far, he has scored 311 runs at 77.75 with three fifties. No other batter has scored even 200 runs in this rivalry.

“If Kohli doesn’t perform, and India lose, they also face a similar situation like us. Then questions tend to arise that why didn’t they play an in-form Deepak Hooda, suppose. But in UAE pitches, even out-of-form batters tend to find rhythm,” Javed added.

India will take on Pakistan on August 28 at the Dubai International Stadium, the same venue where the Men in Blue had suffered a 10-wicket defeat in the 2021 T20 World Cup against their arch-nemesis.