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'If you can't perform, don't expect people to stay quiet': Kapil Dev 'pained' by 'big player' Virat Kohli's poor form
Kapil Dev mentioned that he is pained to see a player of Virat Kohli's class go this long without a century.
Former India captain Kapil Dev has weighed in on Virat Kohli's lean patch and said that as a former player he has the right to question a player's performance if it is not up to the mark. Kapil has been vocal about his views on Kohli's struggle, as a result of which he has in the past, received flak for his comments too. But the former India all-rounder has insisted that if players don't score runs or perform at the level that is expected of them, there is only so much they can do to keep others quiet.
"I haven't played cricket as much as Virat Kohli. But sometimes you may not have played enough cricket but you can look to figure things out. Either that, or we just cannot criticise such great players. We have played cricket and we understand the game and after that, they have to improve their thought process, not ours. If you prove us wrong, we will like it. If you don't score runs, we feel there is some fault. We just see one thing and that's your performance. And if the performance is not there, don't expect people to stay quiet. Your bat and your performance should speak, nothing else," Kapil said on Uncut.
Adding further, Kapil mentioned that he is pained to see a player of Kohli's class go this long without a century. The last time Kohli scored an international century was in November of 2019 – more than two years ago and of late, his form with the bat has been dodgy as well. With a huge question mark over the former India captain's lack of runs, Kapil feels it is becoming a big cause of concern, both for Indian cricket and his fans.
"It pains me to see such a big player go through this a long gap (with regards to a century). He is like a hero to us. We never thought we would witness a player whom we can compare to Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Virender Sehwag. But then they came, and forced us to compare and now since he hasn't for the last two years, it is bothering me and all of us," Kapil pointed out.
After a quiet IPL 2022, Kohli was rested for the home T20I series against South Africa, which ended in a 2-2 draw. After a small break, Kohli will return to professional cricket as India take on England in the rescheduled fifth Test from last year in Edgbaston starting July 1. He is also expected to feature in the three-day practice match against Leicestershire beginning Thursday.
