Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar feels that Virat Kohli could have benefitted from the 'flat pitches' if India played their Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Pakistan. Having scored a fifty against England in the 3rd ODI last week, Kohli was dismissed on 22 by Rishad Hossain against Bangladesh in Dubai. Manjrekar, while speaking to ESPNcricinfo highlighted how Virat Kohli cannot hit the ball at will like Shubman Gill does on certain occasions. However, he did credit the 36-year-old for showing 'bravado' and putting up a fight against bowlers. 'Virat Kohli can't hit at will like Shubman Gill does' He still wants to show that he's up there for a fight, and I am starting to see maybe there's a little bit of bravado as well, and why not? You can t be revealing what's inside you. Manjrekar continued, Virat doesn't have the big game anymore. We ve seen on occasion him playing the big shot, but he can't hit at will like a Shubman Gill does. While Virat did score a century against Australia in Perth during the first Test of the Border Gavaskar Trophy, he struggled for runs throughout the remaining matches, getting dismissed outside the off stump on all occasions. While the legendary cricketer was once a master of playing spin, his recent struggles against spinners was decoded by Manjrekar. What happened is, after that hundred in Australia, had he just carried on that form you know it's a confidence thing as well – when you're out of form and you don't have confidence you suddenly don't quite get that power and the courage to hit the big shots. At this stage, I'm looking at him and feel that he is down on confidence. Virat Kohli needs Pakistan's flat pitches Manjrekar suggested that Virat Kohli could have benefitted from the flat pitches in Pakistan, but India's decision to not travel across the border and play their matches in Dubai instead could complicate matters. So he's cornered in a way. What he needed in this tournament are flat pitches like the ones in Pakistan. But if he finds a way out of this and he finds another peak of Virat Kohli, that will tell you a lot more about the man and how he's built. He continued, "When he comes into bat, the spinners come on. And once the spinners know that you're not going to be hitting them for three sixes straight down the pitch or over midwicket… they bowl the kind of deliveries they'll get wickets off because they don't fear backlash from the batter." Kohli is on the cusp of a historic feat that he can achieve against Pakistan on 23 February, as he looks to surpass the 14,000 ODI runs milestone.Original Article