Indian cricket star Virat Kohli was seen with an ice pack on his left leg, raising concerns ahead of the important Champions Trophy 2025 match against Pakistan. He arrived 2-3 hours early for practice, focusing on improving his performance against spinners. Kohli, who missed the first ODI against England due to a knee injury, has struggled recently, notably dismissed six times in a row by spin bowlers. Despite the worries about his physical condition, Kohli’s dedication was evident as he prioritized training. The Indian team faces a strong Pakistan side, highlighted by their pace attack, but Kohli’s work ethic remains commendable.
Star batter Virat Kohli of the Indian cricket team was spotted with an ice pack on his left leg just one day before the highly anticipated match against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 2025, set to take place in Dubai. Kohli, who has been facing challenges with his form recently, showed up ‘2-3 hours’ prior to the scheduled practice session and trained specifically against spinners. After his batting practice, multiple journalists shared images of him seated in the dressing room with an ice pack on his leg. The image quickly raised concerns among Indian cricket fans in light of the upcoming match, although the team management has yet to provide any official confirmation. Kohli did not participate in the first ODI against England in Nagpur due to a knee injury.
Virat Kohli was seen with an ice pack on his left leg following India’s practice session in preparation for the high-stakes match against Pakistan. Is it a concern or just part of routine recovery? #INDvPAK #ViratKohli #CT2025 pic.twitter.com/eSUSETB6FY
— Ankan Kar (@AnkanKar) February 22, 2025
Virat Kohli was serious about his preparation a day before the marquee match against Pakistan, arriving at the ICC Academy two hours before his scheduled practice to work on his game against spin.
After batting, Virat was seen applying an ice pack to his left leg. Let’s hope it’s just soreness pic.twitter.com/pgNVw9mkvn
— Imsajal45 (@Sajalsinha0264) February 22, 2025
Kohli, who faced challenges with deliveries outside off-stump from pace bowlers during the Test series in Australia, has also shown vulnerability against spinners in the recent ODIs he has played.
The 36-year-old was dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in India’s opening Champions Trophy game against Bangladesh on Thursday, marking his sixth consecutive dismissal by spinners in ODIs.
Kohli was caught at backward point while attempting to cut Hossain. Earlier in the series against England at home, it was leg-spinner Adil Rashid who had got the better of him.
The former captain will need to contend with the likes of Abrar Ahmed when India faces Pakistan at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday.
Regardless of his current form, Kohli’s dedication to the sport cannot be questioned; his stellar work ethic showed as he arrived for training well in advance of his teammates, who also arrived an hour earlier than planned.
It was not unexpected that most of the net bowlers he faced were spinners, including a few leg-break bowlers, in addition to numerous off-spinners and a left-arm spinner.
Pakistan features part-time left-arm spinner Khushdil Shah, while Salman Agha bowls off-spin.
With all due respect to the opposition, Indian batters will likely feel confident going up against Pakistan’s spin attack. Their main challenge will come from the pace trio of Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, and Naseem Shah, all of whom are under pressure following a disappointing opening match against New Zealand.
(With PTI inputs)
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