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How can Virat Kohli score runs freely playing conventional shots and others can't?

S

SarfiBabarHaris

T20I Debutant
Joined
Feb 19, 2017
Runs
6,544
Have to say I haven't seen anyone who can score runs so freely playing conventional shots. If you have followed his career he doesn't rely on scoops, reverse sweeps or any other cheeky shots. Whether its 138* vs SL, or 183 vs Pakistan he always rely on basic shots like flicks, cover drives etc and make even scoring 50 off 20 balls a kids play.

Whats so special about him that others don't have? What should upcoming kids do to have a technique like him?
 
Naturally gifted and very confident..what he thinks in mind his hands execute without fear of getting out
 
Kohli when he is struggling against any bowler, quickly takes a single and gets to the other side. Never wastes any deliveries trying for big shots.

I have not seen any player run so many singles and doubles as much as Kohli in 25 years of my Cricket watching.

Add all those singles and doubles with the big shots he unfurls once he gets his eye in, his S/R is always at least 100 when he scores big.
 
It looks conventional. But he uses his wrists to play those shots Not many do that Tendulkar used to play that somewhat similarly. Kohl took it to another level. While bowlers trying to bowl mystery balls Indians play mystery shots.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
It looks conventional. But he uses his wrists to play those shots Not many do that Tendulkar used to play that somewhat similarly. Kohl took it to another level. While bowlers trying to bowl mystery balls Indians play mystery shots.
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Yeah his wrist work is amazing. Can such a thing be taught or its natural ability?
 
troodon said:
Kohli when he is struggling against any bowler, quickly takes a single and gets to the other side. Never wastes any deliveries trying for big shots.

I have not seen any player run so many singles and doubles as much as Kohli in 25 years of my Cricket watching.

Add all those singles and doubles with the big shots he unfurls once he gets his eye in, his S/R is always at least 100 when he scores big.
Click to expand...

I have atleast seen him 7-8 times scoring his 2nd 50 from not more than 20 balls playing conventional shots. This is so special.
 
He is a very thinking cricketer. He is constantly analyzing the field and since he has a very good feel for the game, he knows what the bowler is thinking and where he will bowl. On top of that, he has the talent to execute as well.
 
Mamoon said:
He is a very thinking cricketer. He is constantly analyzing the field and since he has a very good feel for the game, he knows what the bowler is thinking and where he will bowl. On top of that, he has the talent to execute as well.
Click to expand...

Sometimes I feel he already knows what and where the bowler is going to bowl especially in the ending overs.
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
Sometimes I feel he already knows what and where the bowler is going to bowl especially in the ending overs.
Click to expand...

All top batsmen have that quality, because batting is not just about executing technically correct shots. Kohli's discipline is remarkable. Even when things are not going according to plan, he doesn't throw it away because he has the self-belief that he will make up for it later.
 
SarfiBabarHaris said:
I have atleast seen him 7-8 times scoring his 2nd 50 from not more than 20 balls playing conventional shots. This is so special.
Click to expand...

One of those unique trait he is blessed with. I play table tennis with no back hand. I just twist my hand 180 play with same side. It works better than my backhand. Some guys have some signature shots. Azharuddin was one of a kind with such shots. From Pakistan Anwar had this pick up shot. Salim Elahi I think had a similar pick up shot.
 
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SarfiBabarHaris said:
Kohli's biggest rational fan [MENTION=1697]jusarrived[/MENTION] ?
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Haha thanks .

Technically I think hes got the basics right , I remember watching him the U-19 WC and playing the cover drives exactly the way he does now so the drives and cuts or pulls have not changed , but in a slog over bowlers dont bowl in areas to play these shots so hes developed these shots which are slight improvisations and has so many options now .
His wrists plays a big roles as well imo , every batsmen has to predetermine to an extent especially in the slog overs and when the ball does not come in your zone they would have to either shuffle or go cross bat to hit the ball where they had decided . Virat I think does most of it with minor adjustments in his wrists .

There is an interview Nasir hussian took of him , talks a lot about how Virat thinks and especially the last part how hes worked on this shot . Offcourse its a lot of hard work , but I dont think every can pull off that shot . Since he does change a lot of things , even if its a genuine slog it still looks conventional . I think its the same thing hes done on the onside , the drive changes to that chip shot he plays .


http://www.icc-cricket.com/world-t2...t-kohli-master-class-with-nasser-hussain.html

This is just a part of it , but the last few minutes is about that shot I was talking about .
 
His timing is incredible and it is his ability to run between the wickets to a high standard that makes him so good. When I was watching I saw he was at 2 from 8 at one point and all of sudden he is at 40 off 50 with only one boundary and I didn't realise he made that many runs in that time. His dedication to be the best is what Pakistani players should learn from him.
 
Talent plus ruthless work ethic behind the scene in the nets or during the off season. That is why his stats are all time great.
 
jusarrived said:
Haha thanks .

Technically I think hes got the basics right , I remember watching him the U-19 WC and playing the cover drives exactly the way he does now so the drives and cuts or pulls have not changed , but in a slog over bowlers dont bowl in areas to play these shots so hes developed these shots which are slight improvisations and has so many options now .
His wrists plays a big roles as well imo , every batsmen has to predetermine to an extent especially in the slog overs and when the ball does not come in your zone they would have to either shuffle or go cross bat to hit the ball where they had decided . Virat I think does most of it with minor adjustments in his wrists .

There is an interview Nasir hussian took of him , talks a lot about how Virat thinks and especially the last part how hes worked on this shot . Offcourse its a lot of hard work , but I dont think every can pull off that shot . Since he does change a lot of things , even if its a genuine slog it still looks conventional . I think its the same thing hes done on the onside , the drive changes to that chip shot he plays .


http://www.icc-cricket.com/world-t2...t-kohli-master-class-with-nasser-hussain.html

This is just a part of it , but the last few minutes is about that shot I was talking about .
Click to expand...

thnx:)
yeah I saw him with the same grip yesterday when he struck a 4 against Wahab.
bit unconventional but these shots are much less risky then scoops etc.
 
I think self belief has a role to play too. Kohli has immense confidence on his abilities which leads him to execute his plans better.
 
He probably trains every minor muscle in his body and utilizes it to place the ball perfectly.

He should insure his wrists for a billion dollars. From Pakistan salman butt had wrists of steel but kohli is something else.
 
He is a very good batsman. But he needs to add some unconventional shots to his repertoire ( without sacrificing consistency) to get to the next level (beyond smith, root, devilliers, root). I don't know if it's possible though.
 
He doesnt put the ball in the air unless he is 100% sure where its going.

He is composed and rotates the strike. Has good range.

Not sweep and cut hacks like Pak batters.
 
dildilpak said:
He is a very good batsman. But he needs to add some unconventional shots to his repertoire ( without sacrificing consistency) to get to the next level (beyond smith, root, devilliers, root). I don't know if it's possible though.
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yar why does he need those (risky) shots when he can score more than run a ball and at ~200 SR (in slog overs) at will?
Also he is already above these players in LOIs.
 
jnaveen1980 said:
This is why he scores 100 not getting out in 50s or before. You bowl this length with field up. When you treat a short of a length ball like a full ball there is very little opposition can do. He hits the ball in unusual areas.
Click to expand...

Tbh many a times I cant blame bowlers when Kohli is on song. First that guy already knows where they are going to bowl, second he has all shots to put even good balls for 4s and sixes. A yorker specialist like Malinga struggled against him. May be bowl short at 8th stump and put maximum fielders on off side but chances are that will still go for a 6.
 
His inning against Pakistan the other night was quite rusty....until he hit that first six. After that six, he was in beast mode.
 

Look at what Dhoni did to Malinga's 146 km/hr full blooded yorker. And trust me, Dhoni must have spent hours and hours in practice practicing this.

Pakistani players in contrast are just stuck in the 1990's.
 
Hard work behind the scenes. Works harder than Younis Khan of Pakistan, and never gets bogged down. IPL nourished him to great lengths by removing fear in him and like someone said, he quickly rotates the strike by manipulating the field when he's not hitting form. Gets too many singles and doubles through high percentage shots (a term Indian team uses quite frequently).

Once he gets into flow, he is very difficult to cut short due to his supreme hand eye coordination, concentration and top fitness. All three at the same time are a brilliant mix
 
1) Wrists
2) Anticipation (similar to Smith / ABD)
3) Self belief
4) Match sense (when not in form, don't lift the ball in air and just get to the other end)
 
Savak said:

Look at what Dhoni did to Malinga's 146 km/hr full blooded yorker. And trust me, Dhoni must have spent hours and hours in practice practicing this.

Pakistani players in contrast are just stuck in the 1990's.
Click to expand...

Even Wasim and Waqar in their peaks would struggle with Dhoni's Helicopter shot
 
In Pakistan last Odi batsman who had comparable such capability was Mohammad Yousuf.


Umar Akmal was uncontrollable Talent :-)


Kohli is ATG but thanks to Sarfraz who made sure than Kohli gets inform again.


Boult from around the wicket & Rabada & Woakes will test Kohli.


It was frustrating Amir not bowling around the wicket fuller length to Kohli. He somes hangs his bat outside off as we wants to feel bat on ball and Amir can ball a delivery which straightens after pitching. (Seam)
 
What makes a great player different from a good player is, how he applies himself when tides are against him.

Kohli does struggle. Specially at the start of the innings, he looks very vulnerable and it is indeed a very common scenario.

He just tries to survive out there. After 25-30 balls, he starts to feel the grip and then goes into God mode.

The difference is, I think survival. It takes just one miscalculation to throw it away. And most players make it.

Kohli is utmost cautious.

When you know where your weakness are, you will dedicate more time to it. Because once that phase is over, things become easier.
 
I believe it's because of his ability to pick the gaps. It;s a very tough art. Look at our batsmen, they specialize in hitting balls straight to fielders.
 
The beauty of an ATG batsman.

They can do things the average batsman can't. I mean look at AB De Villiers. Plays ridiculous shots but has an incredibly high success rate.

What makes Kohli elite is his preparation, unbelievable cricketing IQ, and the ability to soak pressure like it's nothing.
 
jusarrived said:
Haha thanks .

Technically I think hes got the basics right , I remember watching him the U-19 WC and playing the cover drives exactly the way he does now so the drives and cuts or pulls have not changed , but in a slog over bowlers dont bowl in areas to play these shots so hes developed these shots which are slight improvisations and has so many options now .
His wrists plays a big roles as well imo , every batsmen has to predetermine to an extent especially in the slog overs and when the ball does not come in your zone they would have to either shuffle or go cross bat to hit the ball where they had decided . Virat I think does most of it with minor adjustments in his wrists .

There is an interview Nasir hussian took of him , talks a lot about how Virat thinks and especially the last part how hes worked on this shot . Offcourse its a lot of hard work , but I dont think every can pull off that shot . Since he does change a lot of things , even if its a genuine slog it still looks conventional . I think its the same thing hes done on the onside , the drive changes to that chip shot he plays .


http://www.icc-cricket.com/world-t2...t-kohli-master-class-with-nasser-hussain.html

This is just a part of it , but the last few minutes is about that shot I was talking about .
Click to expand...

I presume you're talking about the "Masterclass" interview by Nasser on Kohli during the ENG series ?

It's Kohli's best interview, and from a technical POV , tells you a lot about what makes Kohli click :

1. Even if you think Kohli has many variations of shots for the same ball, he actually nominates regions and shots before every ball/over according to match situation,RRR, his own form etc. So even when you think that Kohli is playing a great shot out of nowhere, it would possibly be the best suited response in His mind among the few shots he had already decided upon .

And he is constantly analyzing and reassessing these plans after every couple of balls


2. His fitness levels and muscle mass have peaked since 2014. He already had strong wrists, but now with such a strong body, he can time those amazing sixes like past match. You need a lot of muscle strength to hit conventional shots for sex, without resorting to slogs.

3. He ALWAYS TRIES TO STICK AROUND. I thought he was playing poorly even when he was like 37 fro 45 balls or something. There was no rhythm, he wasnt timing the balls well and even th esingles were coming tough. But he still kept it ticking and teed off at thh end. Most past Indian greats, especially Sehwag and Tendulkar would try riskier shots and sometimes get out. But Kohli sticks to the plan, no matter what.

4. He IMPROVES. From a predominantly leg side player from 2009-2012 he has added amazing shots to his offside game . There is the constant drive to get better.
 
It's the hours and hours he spend at the gym improving his fitness all the time which enables him to do that
 
His wrists, his freaking wrists are the reason for his exceptional ball placement, he should donate his wrists to scientists for research #WristsofSteel
 
He actually explained your questions in "masterclass with nasser". It's not on youtube anymore due to copyright issues I guess.

He said, other guys play unconventional shots, I don't. So in order to match up to modern play, he nominate his areas before the bowl is bowled and can predict type of delivery by bowlers depending on match situation and switch his bat grip in split seconds to peirce the gaps.

I recommend every aspiring cricketer to watch that video.
 
aniket1911 said:
He actually explained your questions in "masterclass with nasser". It's not on youtube anymore due to copyright issues I guess.

He said, other guys play unconventional shots, I don't. So in order to match up to modern play, he nominate his areas before the bowl is bowled and can predict type of delivery by bowlers depending on match situation and switch his bat grip in split seconds to peirce the gaps.

I recommend every aspiring cricketer to watch that video.
Click to expand...

do post the complete video here if you find it:)
 
This is just too much, India/Pak rivalry is dead imo. This too much complementing of Indian bats are a real turn off. Kohli whilst he is a great batsmen doesnt deserve this many ongoing accolades from Pak fans.

Reason why kohli is getting this much aweeeee from Pakistanis is only because Pakistan does not have 1 quality batsmen for them to look upto currently, rather than Kohli the batsmen himself. Guys like Umar Akmal and Ahmad Shehzad has the talent comparable to Kohli but too bad they dont have the discipline.......


I miss the 90s and early 2000s, there was a lot of tension, anxiety and excitement when an india pakistan match was being discussed compared to now. I felt Sarfraz possibly captained the worst ever ODI game by a Pakistani captain, just his facial expression to Kohli implying him relax and go for the big hit after Kohli missed out on the previous ball on the last over summed it up.
 
He is an absolute fitness freak !!!! That makes up for lots of little fixes. If you watch him between the balls, he is always twirling his bat, this is to keep his wrists loose.
 
ArunOnline said:
It's the hours and hours he spend at the gym improving his fitness all the time which enables him to do that
Click to expand...

Pakistanis don't understand this basic point. That's why there are threads on the forum titled "is fitness overrated" and half the posters agree that it is....
 
Romali_rotti said:
I miss the 90s and early 2000s, there was a lot of tension, anxiety and excitement when an india pakistan match was being discussed compared to now. I felt Sarfraz possibly captained the worst ever ODI game by a Pakistani captain, just his facial expression to Kohli implying him relax and go for the big hit after Kohli missed out on the previous ball on the last over summed it up.
Click to expand...

you think you're the only one? obviously that was a different team and this is a different team. out teams of 90s/2000s were full of matchwinners that on their day could turn a game on its head by themselves. now we don't even have a single world class batsmen, bowler, or all-rounder.
 
Some of the shots he played that day were work of genius. The six to Hasan Ali genuinely left me in shock and awe.
 
@All Ian chappel rates kohli ahead of lara in terms of finding gaps with surgical precision(Reason he could accumulate 1s and 2s and rotate strike not getting bogged down)

kohlis is passion and wanting to win is unmtached.He played a ranji final in india(domestic tournament) after attending his fathers funeral.

Kohlis fitness regime and work ethic is similar to Australians or best of the sports persons all over the world


Kohlis mental toughness and match awareness(similar to dhoni) is unparalled

Kohlis technique that suits all kinds of attacks/pitches is another trait that sets him apart.


All the above makes him invincible having said that Wasim or mcgrath at peak would have tested kohlis offiside play
 
Lack of pressure + confidence + bit talent + patience.. its not out thinking. Its knowing that bowler will bowl to X spot or he'll def. bowl at Y spot after 4-5 balls. He prepares himself for that.
 
aniket1911 said:
He actually explained your questions in "masterclass with nasser". It's not on youtube anymore due to copyright issues I guess.

He said, other guys play unconventional shots, I don't. So in order to match up to modern play, he nominate his areas before the bowl is bowled and can predict type of delivery by bowlers depending on match situation and switch his bat grip in split seconds to peirce the gaps.

I recommend every aspiring cricketer to watch that video.
Click to expand...

SarfiBabarHaris said:
do post the complete video here if you find it:)
Click to expand...
[MENTION=138793]aniket1911[/MENTION] is right. That video is very very informative. Perhaps the best video on batting technique ... it was soo good that I downloaded it immediately after watching it. Credit must go to Nasser Hussain for arranging that interview and asking the right questions. It was done during the England Tour last year. In short it is the perfect combination of unbelievable skill , technical knowhow , understanding of the game and most importantly the self belief that produce the end product.
 
Technique is the root of batsmanship. From the root that tree then evolves into whatever shape it has. After technique other things come unto play such as mental strength, smartness, awareness, temperament etc etc.

Steve waugh is one such example of player who had good understanding of his strengths and weakness and same goes for sehwag. They weren't supremely technical in their approach like tendulkar or kallis but that doesnt mean they had weak basics.They were successful because of the above factors

He has a very good base from which he then evolved his game and improved continuosly to become such a skilled player. In my mind he is rare breed of player who are technically capable, physically capable and mentally strong.

Our players lack a good base and this goes for all of the top order whether they be azhar ali hafeez or umer akmal/shahzad. They can try be brave or fearless as our useless cricket experts like to say on tv shows but they cannot achieve anything by it unless they have good basd
 
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