Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott made his views on India legend Virat Kohli quite clear, without mentioning Kohli’s name ahead of their Super 8 fixture against India. So far in this World Cup, Kohli has struggled to replicate the dominant form he displayed in IPL 2024, when he won the Orange Cap by scoring 741 runs for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Tasked with a new opening batting role, Kohli has registered disappointing scores of 1, 4 and 0 in the group stage matches against Ireland, Pakistan and the USA.

Across multiple matches, Kohli struggled to handle deliveries that were wide of the stumps, leading to his dismissal by catches. Against Ireland, he edged a delivery that flew straight to the third man. In the following match against Pakistan, he failed to control a full, wide delivery and mistimed a shot straight to the point fielder. Ultimately, the left-arm seamer Saurabh Netravalkar’s angled delivery across Kohli proved his downfall against the USA.

Deliveries outside the off stump have long posed problems for Kohli. This weakness is well-known. Afghanistan can capitalize on this vulnerability quite effectively. They have the tournament’s leading wicket-taker, left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi, in their lineup. It’s a safe bet they will look to target Kohli with the new ball, bowling to him in that problematic channel.

When asked about strategies to dismiss Kohli in the ongoing tournament, Trott adeptly avoided the question in a remarkably clever manner.

Despite the question being about former India captain Virat Kohli, Trott’s response did not mention Kohli’s name even once.

“When planning for an opponent, we analyze the last few innings to identify any relevant trends or patterns. We also consider the player’s full history and our past experiences playing against them. Our assessment takes into account more than just their recent form. If we notice a player is out of form, we look for ways to leverage that information and potentially extend their slump,” Trott claimed.