Former pacer questions Virat Kohli’s place in Indian team

Former Indian pacer Irfan Pathan has questioned the position of star batter Virat Kohli in the national cricket team due to his prolonged struggle in red-ball cricket.

Kohli has faced criticism recently due to his disappointing performances in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. While he did score a century in the first Test, which India won in Perth, he has since posted a series of low scores: 7, 11, 3, 36, and 5.

Irfan Pathan, during a discussion on Star Sports after India’s defeat in the fourth Test, criticised Kohli for his performances in red-ball cricket in the last five years.

“It’s been five years. You are such a big player, and your average in the last five years has been close to 28,” said Pathan. “Does Indian cricket deserve this? Absolutely not. They deserve better than this.”

“He has an average of 21 since October 2023. The Indian team doesn’t deserve that. Even a young player will give you an average of 21.

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“You expect more than this from Virat Kohli. If your career average is close to 50, these are numbers to be ashamed of.”

Pathan elaborated on the concerning trend of Kohli’s dismissals in the ongoing series, drawing attention to how often the batter has succumbed to balls pitched outside the off-stump.

“If you look at his dismissals, all the balls were outside the stumps. If you don’t touch them, the balls will go to the wicket-keeper, and the bowler will definitely try something else,” he stated.

“Good players increase the gap between two similar mistakes. Virat is making similar mistakes repeatedly. Australia are not even moving from Plan A to Plan B. He is getting out to Plan A itself.”

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