Ambati Rayudu suggested that Virat Kohli should lower his high standards for young teammates, arguing it’s difficult for them to match Kohli’s level of performance.
Ambati Rayudu expressed his belief that young players in teams with Virat Kohli should not be pressured to match the batting maestro’s standards. In a chat with Star Sports, Rayudu emphasized that mimicking Kohli’s exceptional level of performance is challenging due to the high expectations he sets.
Kevin Pietersen then interjected the discussion, suggesting such expectations could benefit youngsters, but Rayudu disagreed, stating that burdening players to replicate Kohli’s achievements is unrealistic. The former Indian cricketer also stressed the importance of allowing players to develop their unique identities and strengths, rather than aiming to mimic Kohli. He highlighted the necessity for team management, like RCB, to recognize and utilize players’ individual strengths effectively.
“When you have a stalwart or a legend like Virat Kohli, who has set really high standards for the best in the game to match. So, it is very-very hard for youngsters to be in a side like Virat Kohli and really try and match his standards because he wants the team to be at that standard,” Rayudu said.
“Patidar can only be a Patidar but not Virat Kohli. RCB, as a management, should understand that you can not have 11 Virat Kohlis. You need to have one Virat Kohli with 10 others being themselves with their own identities, own strengths and weaknesses, and you need to use them well in terms of resources. You cannot expect a player to win you games in the very first season, you need to give them that little leeway at times and draw them into a match-winner,” he added.
Notably, Rayudu went on to suggest that Virat Kohli should ease his expectations on young players and provide them with room to learn from mistakes.
“I think the management has a task to cut out and Virat Kohli also needs to ease his standards a little bit when it comes to youngsters in terms of nurturing them and sometimes letting them go when they make mistakes,” Rayudu said.
Meanwhile, Kohli concluded IPL 2024 as the leading run-scorer, securing the Orange Cap with 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.70.
Last Updated on May 28, 2024
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