'Coaches Are Scared To...': Ex-India Coach Reveals How He Approached Virat Kohli Amid Batting Struggles

Former India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has opened up about a candid conversation with Virat Kohli during India's tour of Australia, when the batting great was struggling with a recurring technical flaw. Speaking on the talkSPORT Cricket podcast, the ex-Netherlands all-rounder explained why approaching a superstar with criticism can be a delicate task in modern cricket, before revealing how Kohli responded when he finally decided to address the issue.

Why Coaches Hesitate To Challenge Superstars

Ten Doeschate believes the growing influence of players in modern cricket has made coaches more cautious about offering unsolicited advice, particularly when dealing with established stars.

He explained the difficulty of deciding when to intervene and how to ensure that the feedback actually helps.

"I think a lot of coaches are afraid to make interventions because it can be seen that you are, you know, trying to justify your job, or you're interfering, or just saying things for the sake of saying it,"

"You've got to strike the balance of making an intervention that's going to help the player, or confusing them."

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Ten Doeschate's Conversation With Kohli

The former Netherlands all-rounder stressed that he did not want the possibility of upsetting a senior player to stop him from speaking up.

Recalling Kohli's struggles in Australia, he revealed that he eventually approached the batter during the fourth Test.

"I never want to be a coach who is scared of an opinion of someone else for stepping in, for saying the right thing. I actually was just telling a really great story about Virat and the troubles he had in Australia with driving the ball and nicking off."

"Eventually, in the fourth Test, I went to intervene and chat to him. And he was brilliant about it! And he actually wanted someone to chat to him."

Ten Doeschate admitted that challenging a player of Kohli's stature can carry professional risks for a coach. He believes the manner in which such feedback is delivered can make all the difference.

"But my sense is, for a coach to go to a player like Virat Kohli and intervene and almost call them out on what's happening can be dangerous for you as a coach. And I think getting the wording right around that and how you deliver it is so important."

"The way the power shift has moved towards the players in the modern era does mean that a lot of coaches are scared to bring up topics or at least get talking about it."

His experience with Kohli, however, showed that a well-timed intervention need not be unwelcome, even when it involves questioning one of the biggest names in the game.