'This is a guy who’s damn self-confident' - Sanjay Manjrekar reacts as Virat Kohli regains form

Virat Kohli returned to international cricket with the commencement of the Asia Cup 2022 edition, in the UAE. After a break, post the England tour, the 33-year-old's return was keenly observed. The right-hander had a torrid time in England and ended without a single half-century across formats. Thus, his return to form was much awaited by the Team India fans.

Much to the delight of Indian cricket team and its ardent supporters, Kohli ended as the second-highest run-getter in the continental tournament where India failed to reach the final. Kohli ended with 276 runs in five outings, including two half-centuries and a hundred. In the recently-concluded India-Australia T20Is, at home, Kohli continued to contribute with the bat. In the series opener, he fell for 2 (7) and departed for a quickfire 11 in the rain-curtailed second and penultimate T20I before scoring a crucial 63 in the final encounter, in Hyderabad, on Sunday (September 25) to help India win the series 2-1.

'ViratKohli is someone who is damn self-confident'

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Seeing Kohli among runs, right before the T20 World Cup which gets underway in Australia from next month, former Indian batter Sanjay Manjrekar lauded the former Indian captain. He believes Kohli is someone who is damn self-confident. “See, right from the Asia Cup every match that he got runs, not just the runs, there was some improvement coming. I think the power game is back, he’s trusting his power game. There was a time when he was getting runs but his power game was not coming at his beck and call, that is starting to happen. He’s dispatching good balls for big boundaries and sixes," Manjrekar said whilespeaking on SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP’

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"It’s all about confidence, this is a guy who’s damn self-confident and drives himself to excellence but for long-time runs weren’t coming and his confidence was tender. But during the Asia Cup, slowly and steadily, certain things start to happen, the pull shots came in, and the sixes started going more into the stands than just going over the rope as it was going in the IPL. So, the pieces falling back to frame the perfect picture. Now it’s all about putting all these kinds of performances in the main event,” Manjrekar further explained.

Kohli-starrer India will next face South Africa, at home, in a three-match T20I series starting on September 28 (Wednesday).