“Obviously other things are very important in his life” - Legendary captain’s massive statement on Virat Kohli ahead of IND vs PAK CT 2025 match

Former Australia captain Steve Waugh has defended Virat Kohli amid his continued poor form by highlighting that other things in the star batter's life are now as important as cricket. While Waugh expressed surprise at Kohli being dismissed in a similar manner during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar series against Australia, he refrained from writing the champion Indian batter off.

Kohli endured a poor start to his 2025 Champions Trophy campaign with a 38-ball 22 in India's opening game win over Bangladesh on February 20. The low score apart, it was his third consecutive dismissal against leg-spin that had fans and exerts worried heading into the all-important clash against Pakistan.

Talking about Kohli's lack of runs over the past year, Waugh told TOI:

"Great players tend to find a way and rectify things quickly. But I guess it just proved he’s human like the rest of us. Things in life change too. He's got children. Obviously other things are very important in his life, besides cricket. He just needs that little bit of spark to get him back. I never write off great players."

He added:

"We set such high standards, everyone is expecting him to come out and get a hundred every game, which is not possible. He’s an amazing player. He was disappointed with his returns, and he kept getting out the same way (in Australia), which was a little bit surprising for such a great player."

Kohli has been in woeful form across formats since the beginning of last year, scoring a lone century and two half-centuries in 37 innings. The 36-year-old averages a dismal 21.62 in this period with four ducks.

"Maybe he thinks too far ahead" - Steve Waugh on Virat Kohli

Kohli's poor form has hurt India in terms of recent results [Credit: Getty]

In the same interview, Steve Waugh opined that thinking too far ahead and not focusing on the present might be hindering Virat Kohli's focus. The champion batter struggled massively in India's back-to-back Test series losses to New Zealand at home and in Australia, scoring 50+ only twice in 14 completed innings.

"The tendency to sort of just hang the bat outside off-stump, that’s something he could rectify quickly. I think that comes down to concentration and focus. Maybe that’s the area that is down now. Maybe he thinks too far ahead or is thinking about the consequences rather than playing it one ball at a time," Waugh said.

Team India will hope Kohli returns to form in the ongoing Champions Trophy as they look to win the tournament for a record third time. They will take on arch-rivals Pakistan in their next outing of the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, February 23.