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CSK star's stern warning to Virat Kohli critics: 'Leave him alone. He has scored 70 hundreds, he'll score 30-35 more'
CSK star opined that when nobody told him how to bat when he was scoring centuries at will, no one has the right to question him now as well. He further backed Kohli to bounce back strongly and score 30-35 centuries more.
Even amid the rising criticism, Virat Kohli has found support from teammates and former members of the Indian team. The ex-India skipper's spot in the team has been questioned after a poor run of form in the England tour which is part of his ongoing century drought which goes back to November 2019. And the criticism increased further with Kohli being rested for the entire limited-overs tour of West Indies. But his former India teammate and Chennai Super Kings star, Robin Uthappa on Tuesday gave a stern warning to Kohli's critics.
Following his return from the break after IPL 2022, during which he missed the home series against South Africa and the Ireland series, Kohli scripted a forgettable tour of England. In two matches he played in the T20I series, he managed only 12 runs and scored 33 runs in two innings in the ODI contest. And amid questions over his batting form, criticism has risen with veterans questioning the decision to rest Kohli for the tour of West Indies were India are playing three ODIs and five T20Is.
Speaking on ShareChat’s Audio Chatroom session, Uthappa opined that when nobody told him how to bat when he was scoring centuries at will, no one has the right to question him now as well. He further backed Kohli to bounce back strongly and score 30-35 centuries more.
"When he (Virat Kohli) was scoring runs, when he was hitting hundred after hundred, nobody said he should play like this or that. Now, I don't think we have any right to tell him how to play. He has scored 70 hundreds thanks to his own abilities and he will score another 30 or 35 also on his own abilities," Uthappa said.
"We need to just leave him alone and let him play cricket. He knows what works best for him and I believe once he acknowledges his problem, he will be able to sort it out on his own. All we need to do is give him space to be himself," he added.
Uthappa further opined on the decision for Kohli to opt for rest.
"If he feels it is fit for him to take a break, then he can take a break. If he feels he has to play a certain series or tournament, allow him to play. Don't bring his spot into question. He is a match-winner, one of the proven match-winners and he is the best in the world. We have no right and authority or no ground to stand on and question his ability to win matches or question his position in our team," Uthappa added.
Kohli is likely to return for the Asia Cup tournament which will be played later next month in the UAE.
