‘He’s gone through it all before, so he knows exactly what to do’ – Faf du Plessis backs Virat Kohli to turn things around

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis. (Photo Source: BCCI/IPL)

Virat Kohli has been garnering severe criticism following his horror run with the bat in the recently-concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25. India lost the series by a 1-3 margin, with Kohli aggregating just 190 runs in nine innings at a paltry average of 23.75. The former India captain was dismissed seven times in the series. Each of his dismissals saw him edging to wicketkeeper Alex Carey or the slip cordon.

Kohli is averaging below 25 in the longest format since last year. Some experts have suggested that the Delhi batter should return to domestic cricket and get back among the runs. Meanwhile, Faf du Plessis, who captained the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) from 2022 to 2024, playing alongside Kohli, backed the legendary batter to overcome his dry patch with the willow.

“I know someone like him is super super motivated, he’s gone through it all before, so he knows exactly what to do,” du Plessis was quoted as saying by India Today.

When asked about the possibility of Kohli drawing curtains on his Test career, the former South Africa captain said that it is a decision that should be left to the Indian stalwart.

“That is very, very personal. No one can speak to you about when that time is (up) as a player, you’ll know,” said du Plessis.

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It is different for every player: Faf du Plessis

Du Plessis recalled the time when he stepped away from Test cricket. The 40-year-old said he no longer had the hunger and the drive to play red-ball cricket and felt that the time was right to allow younger players to make a mark.

“It is different for every player. Every player needs to answer that question. I remember when that time was for me. I just knew that certainly from the Test cricket perspective for me. I didn’t have that same hunger and drive anymore and I felt that that stage certainly for me was a good time to let new guys come in and also step into the T20 world. I wanted to do that at the stage where I still felt like I was on top of my game,” du Plessis mentioned.

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