Virat Kohli, the prolific Indian batter, has been struggling for form for quite some time now. Kohli was not a part of the Indian squad touring the West Indies and there are speculations over his future. Kohli's batting stats in T20Is have been pretty abysmal in 2022. Also, Kohli hasn't hit a hundred since 2019 and the wait for his 71st century is now getting painstakingly longer. His poor strike rate in the T20 format is equally alarming for the selectors as many junior players with superior hitting credentials are vying for a spot in the Playing XI with good performances in recent times.
Amid a growing chorus over Virat Kohli's form and concerns over his inclusion in Team India's squad for Asia Cup 2022, West Indies' legendary cricketer Brian Lara has come to the former India captain's rescue.
"I respect Virat Kohli as a player, but you see, he is going to come out of it as a much better player. He will be learning a lot of things at this point in time. You cannot write him off," Lara told veteran sports journalist Vimal Kumar in a video interview.
Several former cricketers and legends of the game have come out in support of Kohli. Earlier, commentator and former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar had spoken in favour of Kohli and highlighted that selectors should have given him more international matches to play than he did in 2022.
On the other side, Rohit Sharma, who took over the captaincy from Kohli in all formats, has performed exceptionally as captain, although his batting form still leaves a lot to be desired. Since the IPL, Rohit has scored two half-centuries and has looked a lot more assured than he did while playing for Mumbai Indians. Like Kohli, Lara shared his views on Rohit as well, calling him an 'unbelievable' player.
{{/usCountry}}On the other side, Rohit Sharma, who took over the captaincy from Kohli in all formats, has performed exceptionally as captain, although his batting form still leaves a lot to be desired. Since the IPL, Rohit has scored two half-centuries and has looked a lot more assured than he did while playing for Mumbai Indians. Like Kohli, Lara shared his views on Rohit as well, calling him an 'unbelievable' player.
{{/usCountry}}"He is an unbelievable player. I think lots of Indian years players are very aggressive and Rohit is an amazing player," he added.