New Delhi
After India’s 3-1 loss to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, former cricketer Yograj Singh gave his opinion on the poor form of the Indian senior batsman in the series. Highlighting the manner in which Virat Kohli was dismissed throughout the series, he insisted that someone should have told the star batsman not to play this shot. In five Test matches, Kohli was able to score only 190 runs and was out eight times chasing balls outside the off stump.
Yograj said that if a player is representing India, he may not need coaching in the traditional sense, but rather man-management to improve his game. Yograj said, ‘When you are playing for India, the role of the coach becomes an important question. When you are an exceptional player representing India, you don’t need coaching in the traditional sense. You really need someone for man management. Sometimes, a player’s mind becomes blocked; They are unable to score runs, or they get out again and again. No matter how great a player is, he cannot be bigger than the game.
He said, ‘Such players need someone who guides them, who says, ‘Let’s go to the nets and work on this’. For example, Virat Kohli has been out several times playing his favorite shot – the right-arm push. That shot works on Indian pitches, England and elsewhere. But on some pitches where the ball bounces and bounces more, someone should have told him, ‘Virat, don’t play this shot’. Just play straight or drop this ball. This shows the difference between coaching and management. Coaching is to identify the technical mistake of a player and tell him about it. Someone should identify these technical issues and convey them to the players. But who will tell Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli? They also want someone to come and tell them what is going wrong.
The former cricketer further added, ‘I believe there is a need for proper management – someone who understands when a player’s mind is blocked, when they are feeling depressed, and reassures them and says, ‘No worries. Don’t, we’re here for you. You’ll do it because you’re a great player.’ Every player faces downs, even the greatest. It’s part of the game.
Speaking about the coaching style of head coach Gautam Gambhir, Yograj said, ‘Gambhir is a brilliant cricketer who has a brilliant mind. He has the ability to take the team forward. However, where there are mistakes, they point them out – and rightly so. But proper management is necessary to keep young players together. Someone needs to tell him, ‘Virat, it’s not a big deal; It happens to everyone. Rohit, don’t worry, these phases come and go. Bumrah, you are doing very well; Just keep your focus.
In the end he said, ‘Young players, especially fast bowlers like Siraj, need guidance and support. Someone should stand by them, show them the way and help them understand the nuances of the game. When players are frustrated, struggling to perform, management becomes the magic wand that lifts them up.’ India have missed out on a place in the final of the 2025 World Test Championship with a six-wicket defeat in the Sydney Test and there will now be a title clash between Australia and South Africa.
