3 reasons why Virat Kohli not playing Zimbabwe ODIs is a good move

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli was once again rested from the ODI squad for the three-match series against Zimbabwe, which gets underway on August 18. Like the ODIs against West Indies, Shikhar Dhawan will lead the side, while Rahul Tripathi has been handed his maiden ODI call-up.

Multiple reports suggested that Kohli could travel to Zimbabwe to regain some form ahead of the Asia Cup. The talismanic scorer has had a rather wretched time in the recent past as he has failed to cross the 20-run mark in England across all formats.

In the ODI series, he scored just 33 runs in two games and got out while fetching deliveries outside the off stump. However, experts believe that an extended break from the game could work in favor of Kohli.

On that note, we take a look at three reasons why Virat Kohli not traveling to Zimbabwe is a good move:

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#3 Keeps him fresh for Asia Cup

Virat Kohli needs to be fit and firing for India soon.

This is the T20 World Cup year and an in-form Kohli could be the deciding factor at the top of the batting order in Australia. He looked completely cooked in the IPL and in England, and this extended time away from the game could well rejuvenate him.

The Asia Cup is slated to be played in the UAE, which should suit Kohli. There is little doubt that the right-handed batter is still a big part of India's plans leading into the World Cup.

The Men in Blue will have enough preparation time for Kohli to hit his stride once he sorts out the fatigue that might have seeped in with relentless action.

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#2 Virat Kohli has the best numbers in ODIs

Virat Kohli played his last ODI against England.

Even when he was supposedly out of form, Kohli had quite impressive numbers in ODIs. He has apparently been out of form since 2020, but the right-hander has racked up 735 runs in 20 ODI matches and has nine half-centuries to show for his efforts.

Playing in ODIs might be redundant and he needs to be prolific in the shortest format. Even in England, Kohli looked at relative ease in the 50-overs format and considering all these factors, the selectors were probably right in giving him an extended break from this format.

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#1 Cheap runs will not help

England v India - 3rd Royal London Series One Day International.

Runs in international cricket matter, but considering the conditions and the opponents, piling up runs in Zimbabwe against a relatively weak bowling attack might not have helped Kohli's cause.

“So yeah, Zimbabwe, I’d forget about it because I don’t necessarily think there’s a lot to gain from him. He might score a cheap hundred, which goes great for the confidence but doesn’t necessarily change too much moving forward because I still believe he’s the key man for India,” former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris said in a recent interview with News18.

What Kohli needs right now is to recalibrate and work on the mental aspect of the game. He might be the toughest cookie in the modern game, but clearly the intense scrutiny has forced him to think a lot about external factors.

He has always maintained that 'outside noises' do not really bother him and this should be the way he goes about his business in this key year for Indian cricket.