NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain Kapil Dev has raised questions over out-of-form Indian star Virat Kohli’s continued presence in the Indian team despite mediocre performances over the last few years.
The former captain believed that once the top-ranked batter was no longer indispensable for the team and felt that performing youngsters should be given the opportunity in the T20Is in Kohli’s place.
“Yes, now the situation is such that you might be forced to bench Kohli from T20 playing eleven. If world No. 2 bowler Ashwin can be dropped from Test side then (once upon a time) world No. 1 batter can also be dropped,” Kapil said in an interview given to ABP News.
Kapil minced no words in saying that the star batter has been in lackluster form and his continuous retention in the team has taken a toll on deserving young talent.
“Virat is not batting at a level which we have seen him do over the years. He has made a name because of his performances but if he isn’t performing, then you can’t keep the performing youngsters out of the team,” he said.
He expounded on Kohli’s absence in the recently announced Indian squad for the upcoming tour against the West Indies claiming that he has been dropped because of his below-par performance.
“You can call it rest and someone else will call it dropped. Every person will have his own view. Obviously, if selectors don’t pick him (Kohli), then it could be because a big player isn’t performing,” he maintained.
Kapil emphasized that he wanted to see healthy competition in the team where young players challenge established players for a spot.
“I want competition for places in the team in a positive sense that these youngsters should try and outperform Virat,” he added.
He further opined on the team’s selection criteria claiming that the players should be selected on the basis of their current form rather than their reputation.
“Play in-form players when you have loads of options,” said Kapil. “You can’t just go by reputation but you have to look for the current form. You can be an established player but that doesn’t mean that you will be given chances even if you fail five games in a row,” he concluded.
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