Former Indian opener Sunil Gavaskar has backed Virat Kohli to come good in the upcoming 2024/25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which gets underway on Nov 22 in Australia.
Kohli has had a torrid run in whites during India’s home season, where they hosted Bangladesh and New Zealand for two- and three-Test series respectively. He only managed 192 runs in five Tests, with a solitary 50, and has hit only two centuries in the format since 2020. Gavaskar, however, feels that Kohli will be extra confident playing in Australia, where he averages 54.08 and has scored six hundreds and four half-centuries.
‘He’ll feel that extra bit of confidence’
Ahead of the BGT opener in Perth, Gavaskar said on Star Sports, “Because he hasn’t got runs against New Zealand, he’ll be very, very hungry. Even in that Adelaide Test match, where in the second innings we got all out for 36, in the first innings, Kohli got 70 plus, if I recall correctly, before being run out. He’s consistently performed at Adelaide, so it’s a familiar ground for him. And before Adelaide, it’s Perth, where he played one of the finest Test centuries in 2018-19. A terrific hundred. Having performed on these grounds, he’ll feel that extra bit of confidence. Of course, you need a bit of luck at the start, but if he gets off to a good start, he will get big runs.”
 Kohli played only one Test during India’s last tour of Australia, in 2020/21. He played the first Test, in Adelaide, before leaving for India due to paternity leave. He had a memorable tour in 2014/15, slamming 692 runs (second-most) in eight innings with four centuries.
Given India will be without regular captain Rohit Sharma for the Perth Test, Kohli will have to mentor the Indian batting line-up single-handedly. Meanwhile, Rohit is expected to join the Indian squad before the second Test, in Adelaide.