‘Waited For The Ball’: Sanjay Bangar Opens Up About Virat Kohli’s Newly Adapted Batting Technique

Former India coach Sanjay Bangar spoke about the changes Virat Kohli made to his batting after the tour of Australia came to an end. The former India skipper made 190 runs in the 5 matches during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and called Bangar for help ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025. Virat Kohli was spotted training with the former India coach in order to make changes to his batting technique.

Virat batted well during the game against arch-rivals Pakistan in the ongoing Champions Trophy as the 36-year-old smashed his 51st century in ODI.  While speaking to Times Of India, Bangar said that Kohli ensured that he would wait for the ball to come rather than always playing on the front foot.

"He (Kohli) waited for the ball to come to him. He really wasn't on the front foot all the time. He was willing to cover the infield as well. Against spin, what was good to see in the first half of his innings was that he was playing a lot off the back foot. Then once he got that confidence, he started coming forward. So, starting off the back foot and then gradually going on to the front foot was the plan," said Bangar.

"When Kohli was in form, his bat used to come from the second or third slip area, allowing him to play more controlled shots. He is a guy who leaves no stone unturned as far as preparation is concerned. He knew that he had to step up (after the Australia tour). He brought that intensity to his game, and one could see it in his body language," added Bangar.

"What he did well was to watch the ball till the end, till it made contact with his bat. That's something we discussed - to watch the ball like a hawk and give more than 100% to each delivery. He is hungry for runs and going by the innings he played (against Pakistan), he can easily play for another 3-4 years in international cricket," Bangar signed off.

The Indian team will next face New Zealand in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025 on 2nd March in Dubai International Stadium.