'Are BCCI under pressure to keep the sponsors happy?': Ex-England bowler adds fresh twist to Virat Kohli saga

Former England cricketer on Thursday added a fresh twist to this entire episode with a bold statement on BCCI.

The chorus is growing louder by the day as Virat Kohli continues his poor return with the bat. Since November 23 of 2019, Kohli hasn't scored another international ton. He has gone past the fifty-run mark quite a few times, but is yet to reach the three-figure mark that has eluded him for three years now. And his recent struggles with the bat has led to legends of the game and veteran cricketers calling for team management to drop him from the side. But former England cricketer Monty Panesar on Thursday added a fresh twist to this entire episode with a bold statement on BCCI.

Sourav Ganguly; Virat Kohli

Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev was among the first to point out that players shouldn't be picked by reputation as he talked about Kohli's place in India's T20I side. Many veterans agreed to the statement as well as Kohli managed just one half-century score across formats in his last 13 innings.

However, Panesar, in his interview with Times of India, explained why Kohli remains undroppable by the BCCI.

"It's like Cristiano Ronaldo. Whenever Ronaldo plays for Manchester United, everyone's watching the football. Virat Kohli is the same. He has got a huge following and attraction," Panesar said.

"Are BCCI under pressure too, regardless of whatever the result and role Virat Kohli has to play, to keep the sponsors happy? That's probably the biggest question. They can't drop him or afford to drop him because they'll probably lose huge financial sponsorship," he opined.

However, the former cricketer was quick to point out that whether the same logic works when India are heading into big tournaments like the T20 World Cup.

"The difficulty here is that he is the most marketable cricketer in the world. Fans love him a lot. We all just love Virat and his intensity. Sometimes, it's borderline but he's very much admired in England. So, from the BCCI's perspective, they've got to sit down and decide.

"From a financial perspective, other boards gained so much from Virat Kohli. But is Virat really good for the India side right now? But then would it mean at the expense of them not winning a T20 World Cup or a 50-over World Cup? That's the biggest question at the moment," the retired spinner asserted.