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Cricket Players‘Even if we play T10, he has to be in the team’: Nehra gives two big reasons why Team India needs Virat Kohli in T20Is
Former India bowler Ashish Nehra has insisted that Virat Kohli ‘has to be’ in the Indian T20I side.
Virat Kohli on Monday played his last match as the captain of the Indian T20I side, bowing out with a 9-wicket victory against Namibia. The Indian team was eliminated from the 2021 T20 World Cup in the Super 12s stage, following heavy defeats to arch-rivals Pakistan and New Zealand in its first two games.
Kohli, one of the most successful batters of all time, made an important half-century against Pakistan but failed to step up for the side against the Kiwis, as the two losses eventually proved key to India's ouster in the tournament. While the 33-year-old will no longer be the captain of the side, he had said in a statement that he would continue to play in the shortest format of the game.
Following India's elimination from the T20 World Cup, there were speculations over Kohli's place in the T20I side. Former Indian bowler Ashish Nehra, however, has disregarded the doubts over the batter's place in the side.
Nehra said that Kohli is the most consistent batter in the Indian team, adding that the next T20 World Cup would be in Australia which offers better pitches - and Team India would need Kohli's services with the bat in those conditions.
"He has to continue in T20Is, because the next T20 World Cup will be in Australia, which has big grounds like the UAE. Plus, you are likely to get better pitches in Australia than the UAE," Nehra said on Cricbuzz.
"Even in this tournament, during the game against Pakistan, Kohli made an important contribution. If you keep him out and go entirely with aggressive batters like Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya as your no.3, 4, and 5, it won't work every time. No one can provide stability to a batting order better than Virat Kohli," said Nehra.
Nehra further added that Kohli, along with players like Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, provides a much-needed experience to the T20I side as well.
"Your top-2 has Rohit and Rahul, and then Virat Kohli. You need a good combination of experience and youth," said Nehra.
"In recent times, we have seen more aggressive batters in the Indian team. Among such power-hitters, even if India decide to play T10, Virat Kohli has a big role to play."
