'Mouths will be shut': Ravi Shastri backs Virat Kohli to silence critics in Asia Cup 2022 after well-deserved break

Batting superstar Virat Kohli has not scored a century in nearly three years now and has been going through an extended lean patch with the bat this year, but former India coach Ravi Shastri feels Kohli could be a different beast in the upcoming Asia Cup, especially since he will be returning to action from a break.

Kohli, who has stepped down as captain across international formats as well as in the IPL, had opted out of India's tour of the West Indies as well as Zimbabwe and will next be seen in action during India's opening clash of the continental showpiece event against Pakistan on 28 August.

Following India's tour of England, the former India captain was seen holidaying in Paris with his family, something that Shastri had earlier encouraged him to do and felt would do wonders both to his confidence as well as to his form.

"Big players wake up in due course. They need a break; mental fatigue can creep in to the best in the world. There is a not a single player in world cricket who has not gone through a bad patch and I am sure this downtime is not just for the body, it's time to reflect.

"He will come back with a calmer mind, because the heat is off. You have been away. Now, what you do will get the tone. He gets a fifty in the very first game, mouths will be shut for the rest of the tournament. What's happened in the past is history. Remember, public memory is very short," Shastri said in a virtual press conference hosted by Mayanti Langer Binny also featuring Pakistan pace legend Wasim Akram.

COVID nothing more than flu

Defending champions India, a favourite to win the title for a third consecutive time this year, were dealt a blow days before the start of the tournament with head coach Rahul Dravid testing positive for COVID-19, the former India captain thus likely to miss India's marquee clash against Pakistan on the 28th.

However Shastri, who himself contracted the virus during India's tour of England last year, downplayed concerns surrounding the latest development, suggesting COVID these days was nothing more than just a flu and that Dravid should be back in action sooner rather than later.

NEWS - Head Coach Rahul Dravid tests positive for COVID-19.

More details here - https://t.co/T7qUP4QTQk #TeamIndia

— BCCI (@BCCI) August 23, 2022

"Today, don't call it Covid-19, it's just flu. In 3-4 days, it will be fine. He will be back on the park," said Shastri.

Shastri was the head coach when he tested positive for COVID shortly after India's victory at the Oval in September last year. He added had he returned to the dressing room after a few days, the tour might have gone ahead as usual and the Virat Kohli-led side could have completed a 3-1 series win at Manchester's Old Trafford.

Instead, the fifth and final Test was suspended and only took place earlier this summer in Birmingham, with Ben Stokes' team pulling off a dramatic seven-wicket win to level the series 2-2.

Shaheen's absence a big setback

Former Pakistan captain Akram, meanwhile, added that Shaheen Shah Afridi's absence from the Asia Cup due to a knee injury is a major setback for the Men in Green in their hopes of winning a third Asia title.

Afridi played a key role in Pakistan's run to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year, including a three-wicket haul against India that included the key wickets of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul besides Kohli.

Afridi was found to have been suffering from a knee ligament injury, which rules him out of the Asia Cup as well as the subsequent T20I series against England at home, with the left-arm pacer unlikely to return to action before the T20I triangular series in New Zealand just before the T20 World Cup.

"Shaheen Afridi will be missed a lot. He is important because of the new ball. In this format if you have to restrict the opposition by taking early wickets and that is what the does. He attacks the stumps in all formats.

"There was criticism when he did not take a break but he is only 22. He has got a knee injury which takes time to heal and you always fear that it might come back. He is one the world's top three bowlers so a big setback for Pakistan.

"There is still pace in the bowling department but there is no variation (in the absence of Shaheen's left arm pace). They all are right handers," said Akram, who will be reuniting Shastri in the commentary box for Star Sports after a long time.

Pakistan have since announced Mohammad Hasnain as Afridi's replacement in the bowling department, which is now expected to be led by pacer Haris Rauf.

Watch Asia Cup 2022 from 27th August, 6.00 pm onwards live & exclusive on Star Sports Network and Disney+ Hotstar

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