What Virat Kohli can learn from Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid

The form of former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli has now become a subject of debate among the cricket experts. Known to be one of the best international batters, Kohli has been struggling with the bat for quite some time now. He hasn't scored a century since 2019. 

However, BCCI President and former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Kohli. He has said that it is just a phase and every sportsperson goes through, and Virat too can make a comeback.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Ganguly said: “These things will happen in sports. It has happened to everybody. It has happened to Sachin (Tendulkar), it has happened to Rahul (Dravid), it has happened to me. That’s part and parcel of the sport and I think as a sportsman, you just need to listen, be aware of what it is and play your game.”

These things will happen in sport. It happened to everybody including Sachin, Rahul & me. It's going to happen to future players. That's part & parcel of sport & as a sportsman you just need to go & play your game: Sourav Ganguly on questions about Kohli's position in the team pic.twitter.com/i8BTTEKAiD

— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2022

Even in the recent England Test series, Kohli had a dismal show. He could only score 1 and 11 in the second and third T20Is against England earlier this month. In the rescheduled fifth Test in Edgbaston, Kohli made only 11 and 20.

Why Ganguly talked about Tendulkar, Dravid and himself

The three legends of the game - Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid - have seen numerous ups and downs in their cricketing careers. For example, Sachin Tendulkar struggled with his tennis elbow injury for a long time which affected his performance. Rahul Dravid too in 2007-08 was struggling with his form. Ganguly’s famous duel with coach Greg Chappel almost brought his career to an end. 

But all of these players made remarkable comebacks and ended their careers on a high note.

When Tendulkar struggled with the bat: Sachin Tendulkar had a lean patch in 2002 and also from 2005 to 2007 when he suffered with the tennis elbow injury. 

In December 2002, when the Indian team toured New Zealand, Sachin had a poor show with the bat. He had gone an year and 10 innings without a Test century. In that period, he averaged 17.20 compared to his career average of 55.87. 

But the master came strong in 2003 ODI World Cup and scored 673 runs. His limited over runs average stood at 57.05.

In 2005, with the tennis elbow injury, his batting average in the next two years in Tests plummeted to 41 in 18 Tests and 35 in 24 ODIs, prompting many to say ‘Endulkar’.

Sourav Ganguly’s poor form:  Though Ganguly led the Indian team from 1999-2005, towards the end of his captaincy reign he had a terrible show with the bat. 

In the five-match series against Pakistan at home, Ganguly could manage only 48 runs in five innings. His form was questioned by the critics. 

His career further took a nosedive after his infamous banter with the then head coach of Indian team, Greg Chappell. He was also dropped from the team for quite some time. But, in November 2006, he made a comeback and was included in the Test series in South Africa.

When 'The Wall' cracked: Dravid, also famously known as “The Wall”, had a rough patch in 2007-08. He was the skipper of Indian team which was knocked out of the 2007 ODI World Cup by Bangladesh. The team’s morale was low.

In 2007, Dravid had averaged just 35.64 with the bat in Tests, which was also his lowest in a calendar year. He was also dropped from the ODI team due to his poor form.

But he made a remarkable comeback in 2008, as he scored a century against England in Mohali. It was an inning which helped him regain his lost form.

Kohli can also make a comeback: As Ganguly pointed out, it is a phase in every sportsperson’s life. So, Kohli can also make a comeback.

In a recent press conference, Kohli said, “Kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna... (People will say things, it is their job),” on the questions raised over his poor form.

With the T20I World Cup still few months away, Kohli can still regain his form and play in the World Cup.