IPL 2022: Ravi Shastri Advises Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) Man Virat Kohli to Play Important Sweep Shot

'It's a very important shot. He doesn't play it much, but he should, with freedom'- Ravi Shastri.

New Delhi: Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli had wonderful times during the former’s tenure as coach of the Indian cricket team and the former India international always has a special place in his heart for the ex Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper. Yesterday night, RCB registered their first win of the season against KKR as the Faf du Plessis-led side clinched a 3-wicket thrilling victory at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. But Kohli didn’t have a good day with the bat as he scored 12 in the run-chase. Shastri passes on a valuable piece of advise to Kohli regarding his shot selection.

The 83 World Cup winning all-rounder wants him to play the ‘important’ sweep shot against spinners, freely.

“He was prepared to use his feet against the spinners. Now he has to bring out the sweep. It’s a very important shot. He doesn’t play it much, but he should, with freedom.” he told.

“The four days you get in the nets (between matches), he should get rid of Raghu (D Raghavendra, the throwdown specialist), and the fast bowlers – he has played them a lot in the last one-and-a-half to two years. Get a spinner and keep playing the sweep. Because if he uses his feet and starts to play the sweep, any spinner will think twice, thrice about what to bowl”, he said.

“He does play the shot at training. But the IPL is the sort of tournament where he can practice it with some conviction, because he has to play the shot,” Shastri said. “It’s not like you are playing it in the nets and you won’t get a chance to play it in a game, in Australia or England. So there is no point. Maybe against Nathan Lyon, but he won’t get to face much spin there, it’s mainly fast bowlers”, he added.