Virat Kohli arrives for training 90 mins early in desperate bid to regain form

India vs Pakistan, Champions Trophy: On the eve of the marquee game against Pakistan, Virat Kohli arrived for training 90 minutes early. Kohli was seen batting against local net bowlers on Saturday afternoon in Dubai.

In Short

• Virat Kohli arrived for training at 11:30 am, 90 mins before scheduled start
• India and Pakistan will meet in Dubai on Sunday
• Kohli struggled for fluency in India's opener against Bangladesh

Virat Kohli arrived for training 90 minutes before the scheduled time on the eve of India's marquee Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan in Dubai. Kohli was seen entering the ground in a car alongside assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, reaffirming his relentless hunger to improve. While India's training session was set to begin at 1 PM local time (2:30 PM IST), Kohli was at the venue well before noon.

In visuals shared by the broadcasters, Kohli was seen practising at the nets with local net bowlers feeding him deliveries. He looked sharp and focused, playing drives and checking his defence with precision. The training took place at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy in Dubai.

Pakistan, meanwhile, are scheduled to train from 4 pm to 7 pm local time at the ICC Academy on Saturday.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke lauded Kohli's commitment to refining his game after a disappointing outing against Bangladesh in India's Champions Trophy opener. However, former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar suggested that Kohli's early arrival at training indicated he might be trying too hard to regain form.

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"I think he is trying too hard. Coming 90 minutes earlier to practice is a sign. He can come two minutes before the match and get going. I think he is trying a bit too much," Manjrekar told Star Sports.

Meanwhile, Clarke backed the star batter, asserting that it's unwise to write Kohli off and predicting that he could "flick a switch" on the big day against Pakistan.

"I think Virat is one of those players who thrives in big tournaments. He hasn't been in the best of form, which is why he's training an hour and a half earlier. That's what great players do-when something doesn't feel right, they make time to correct it before stepping onto the field," Clarke told Star Sports.

"What I like about the Champions Trophy is that there's no time to ease into the tournament-you have to be at your best straight away. Virat is such a great player that he might just flick that switch. You might have watched him the other day and thought he wasn't at his best, but he steps up when India need him most. Don't be surprised if it happens against Pakistan on the big day,"

Virat Kohli's weaknesses against leg-spinners have resurfaced during the 2024-25 season. In the opening game against Bangladesh, Kohli struggled to rotate strike, facing 11 dot balls against the spinners in the middle overs. Kohli managed 22 off just 38 balls before he was dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain.

The star batter was dismissed twice by England leg-spinner Adil Rashid in an ODI series at home earlier in February. He had a difficult time against Sri Lanka during India's 0-2 defeat in the island nation last year.