If Virat Kohli gets a fifty in the very first game, mouths will be shut for the rest of the tournament: Ravi Shastri

Ravi Shastri has claimed that if talismanic India batter Virat Kohli gets a fifty in the side's match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on August 28, then the mouths of critics will be quiet for the rest of the tournament. If he features in India's Asia Cup opener against Pakistan, dubbed as the 'greatest rivalry' in cricketing world, it will also mark Kohli's 100th T20I appearance. Kohli returns to the Indian team for the Asia Cup in T20I format, having last featured for the national team during the tour of England in July. He was then rested for white-ball tour of West Indies and ODIs against Zimbabwe. Kohli has been in a prolonged lean patch, having not scored a century in international cricket since November 2019.

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The upcoming Asia Cup, starting August 27, in many ways will be a testing ground for the selectors to assess Indian talent ahead of the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. The million dollar question is - if Virat doesn't come good with the bat with consistent high scores etc, will his spot

"No, I haven't spoken to him but it's not rocket science. Big players wake up in due course. They need a break; mental fatigue can creep in to the best in the world. There is not a single player in world cricket who has not gone through a bad patch. I am sure this downtime is not just for the body; it's time to reflect." "He would have reflected as to what he didn't do right? What things he did absolutely right and should keep focussing on that. What he allowed to come into his mindset that was just not required or relevant? All these things come into play," said Shastri in a press conference organised by Star