'It could be that Virat gives up one-dayers': Former BCCI selector responds to 'Kohli is finished' comments

A former BCCI selector has made a bold prediction about Kohli, saying Virat could give up ODIs before the other two formats.

Virat Kohli's continuous torrid run with the bat is becoming a major cause of concern for Indian cricket and its fans. Forget the century drought. These days, Kohli is struggling to even reach fifties. This year, Kohli has registered just four half-centuries – two against South Africa in January and the other two for RCB during the IPL. The first-ball ducks, the single-digit scores are all increasing and time is running out for India's batting superstar ahead of the T20 World Cup later this year.

Virat Kohli last scored an ODI century in August of 2019.  (Getty)

It was believed that the break which Kohli took ahead of the England tour would help but after scoring a half-century and a 33 against Leicestershire in the three-day practice match, Kohli registered scores of 11 and 20. Although it's too early to pass a judgment, many believe that Kohli's time is over. Responding to the criticism, former BCCI chief selector Jatin Paranjpe has pointed out that there is no doubt Kohli will be back in form soon and those who believe that the star batter is finished, will have another thing coming.

"I think people who are saying he is finished don't know what they are talking about. He is nowhere near finished. There is a lot more to come from him, probably he just needs a little break. In this Test match he was unlucky in both innings. He got an absolute snorter in the second innings and was looking good in the first dig before a moment of indecision. These things happen. A lot more to come from him, which is the biggest positive for this Indian cricket team as it recalibrates itself. They will see a lot more contributions from Virat Kohli," Paranjpe told veteran Sports Journalist Jamie Alter on his Glance chat show, The Alternate View.

Paranjpe added that it could be a strong possibility that Kohli may retire from ODIs before the other two formats. In a year filled with T20I matches for India as part of the build-up towards the World Cup, Kohli is likely to rest from the ODIs – which is why he reportedly asked to be rested from the West Indies tour. But even if that is to happen, the ex-BCCI selector believes it would only do Kohli more good than harm.

"It could be that he gives up the one-day game before other formats, at some stage. If you look at the spread of India’s matches across a calendar year, you have about 20-odd ODIs, seven or eight Test matches, sometimes ten, and then 10 T20 games. So, if he really wants a break, then weaning himself away from the 50-over game, which is becoming more and more meaningless at a bilateral level, is an option he could look at," he said.