IPL 2022 | Shastri urges Kohli to bring out sweep shot against spinners

Former Team India head coach Ravi Shastri has expressed his delight at Virat Kohli's attempt to use his feet against the spinners.

While during RCB's opening game against the Punjab Kings, Kohli rolled back the years to the good old days when he used to step out of his crease and hammer the spinners over their head.

This is exactly what he did against Harpreet Brar earlier this week. Shastri, who has worked with Virat from close quarters, now wants the legendary cricketer to bring out the sweep shot against spinners.

It's excellent that Virat Kohli is using his feet against the spinners, but he must start playing the sweep more often and 'with freedom', to make it more challenging for the opposition, Ravi Shastri told ESPNcricinfo.

The former spin-bowling all-rounder believes that once Kohli starts employing the sweep shot regularly, he will put spinners off their length, which will open up more scoring opportunities for him on drier tracks.

"The thing I liked most about Virat was his fluency [in the 29-ball 41* against Punjab Kings. He was prepared to use his feet against the spinners. Now he has to bring out the sweep. It's a very important shot. He doesn't play it much, but he should, with freedom."

He urged Virat to practise the sweep shot in the nets rather than focussing on practising against pacers.

Shastri further added that Virat doesn't practise the sweep shot enough when preparing for international cricket because the amount of spin he faces at the top level is minimal compared to what he faces in the IPL.

"The four days you get in the nets [between matches], he should get rid of Raghu (D Raghavendra, the throwdown specialist), and the fast bowlers - he has played them a lot in the last one-and-a-half to two years. Get a spinner and keep playing the sweep. Because if he uses his feet and starts to play the sweep, any spinner will think twice, thrice about what to bowl."

The former India coach continued, "He does play the shot at training. But this [IPL] is the sort of tournament where he can practice it with some conviction because he has to play the shot," Shastri said. "It's not like you are playing it in the nets, and you won't get a chance to play it [in a game], in Australia or England. So there is no point. Maybe against Nathan Lyon, but he won't get to face much spin there; it's mainly fast bowlers."

Nailing the sweep shot will be crucial for Virat as pitches will be dry as the tournament rolls on, reckoned Shastri.

"But here, he will definitely get to face a lot of spin. We will move into May soon, it will be quite hot, the pitches will get drier. The sweep will become a very important shot. Play at least one. It's such a shot that if a batter can play it, the spinner won't know where to pitch the ball. Because the range of the shot is from in front of square leg to short fine-leg," he said.

"There is a process - how much back lift should be there, how to use the pace of the ball, what the position of the feet should be if you want to hit it along the ground… it's important to practice it, and it's important to get the position of the feet right." Shastri signed off.

It will be interesting if Kohli pays heed to his former coach's advice in the upcoming games. However, in the latest match against Kolkata, the 32-year old was confined by Umesh Yadav with an around-off delivery - another of his weakness - that kicked off the deck.