‘Virat Kohli not traveling with Indian team’: Teammate’s huge claim amid ODIs in South Africa

Virat Kohli’s stunning century in the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi has taken fans by storm, and former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes the secret behind his sublime form lies in the preparation away from the national cricket team environment.

In the ongoing ODI series opener against South Africa on November 30, Virat Kohli played a stunning knock of 135 off 120 balls to guide India to a competitive 349/8. Later, Kuldeep Yadav’s four-wicket haul helped India beat the Proteas side by 17 runs in the final.

Virat Kohli’s Ranchi heroics leave everyone in awe

Since moving to the United Kingdom, Kohli has focused on individual training and working on his game, away from the distractions and pressures of the Indian camp.

Ahead of both the tour of Australia and the ongoing home games against South Africa, most of Kohli’s preparation took place in England, with only final coordination with the team.

Also read: “We have seen one of the best knocks” – Tilak Varma impressed by Virat Kohli’s Ranchi ODI ton

Ashwin noted that the difference in Kohli’s preparation is visible in his performance. The former India all-rounder highlighted Kohli’s targeted training, including exercises targeting his hip flexors, as a key factor in his revitalized game.

Ravichandran Ashwin reveals the secret behind Virat Kohli’s revival

Ravichandran Ashwin said in a video on his YouTube channel, “I feel that he practices away from the noise and does not travel with the Indian team; therefore, wherever he prepares, he gets good practice. I don’t have 100 percent proof of it, but from what I have seen, he has been working on his hip flexors.”

Kohli’s innings in Ranchi reflected pure joy and confidence, putting a player completely in his element, and Ashwin was amazed to see his intent, footwork and overall joy while batting.

Ashwin explained, “What stood out was Virat Kohli’s intention. We all know what kind of player Virat is, and he has nothing left to prove to anyone. The intention he showed and the happiness he had on his face – that was great to see.”

After a point, when there’s nothing left to prove, it’s all about the joy of the game. I also love that Virat emphasized that he played with full joy, and that is the most important thing. Virat Kohli looked like he was in the zone.

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Ravichandran Ashwin applauds the blockbuster pitch as Ranchi returns with a bang in ODIs

Meanwhile, Ranchi made a roaring comeback in international cricket and produced a blockbuster in its first ODI since 2022. The JSCA International Cricket Stadium offered a dream batting surface and both teams piled up a whopping 681 runs.

The pitch played a big role in the madness: real bounce, a lightning-fast outfield and heavy evening dew made the hitting look effortless from start to finish. And Ashwin felt the pitch was a classic Indian bilateral ODI, where every ball brought excitement and every stroke brought the crowd to life.

Ashwin concluded by saying, “This match gave me the feeling of that classic Indian ODI bilateral dhamaka pitch. This pitch, even when South Africa were batting till the end, it remained the end. If you go into a batsman’s dream and ask him what kind of pitch he wants, he will take this pitch.”