'Virat is fighting his own battle': Former selector has his say on whether Kohli makes it to India XI for T20 World Cup

While many including former captain Kapil Dev believe the struggling batter can be dropped from the eleven, others have rallied behind him during the tumultuous phase.

He may be among the finest players in world cricket but Virat Kohli is facing a prolonged batting slump – a phase that has led to many questioning his place in the Twenty20 format. While many including former captain Kapil Dev believe the struggling batter can be dropped from the eleven, others have rallied behind him during the tumultuous phase. Kohli, who has not hit a century since 2019 and has been under fire for his lowly scores, received support from current captain Rohit Sharma, who backed his predecessor to bounce back soon.

Virat Kohli's struggles do not seem to end.  (Getty)

Since his exit from leadership, Kohli has endured a torrid phase and some have even said that the star batsman should take a prolonged break. His form remains a hot topic of debate, especially when the team is rehearsing for this year's World T20. Amid the chaos, Saba Karim has backed the 33-year-old, saying it's "too early" to decide whether he heads to Australia for the T20 showpiece event.

"It is too early to question Virat Kohli's place in the playing 11 as we have a lot of time before the T20 World Cup starts. He is fighting his own battle and the team management should not pay heed to the criticism and believe in his process to return to the form," Saba Karim told Jagran TV.

"Kohli is such a great player. He has set such high standards with his earlier performances that anything less than that will raise questions. However, he should not get affected by the criticism and we can see that he is not. He is analysing his game and putting efforts to return to his form. The team management should support him in every manner," he added.

The former India stumper also said that Kohli should play more cricket to rediscover his lost mojo. He also lauded Rohit for extending support to the senior batter.

"I feel that it's better for him to play more and more cricket so that he can return to his form. The management and selectors should also focus and support his process to come back to his form and give more chances," Karim said.

"I don't think the criticism is affecting the team negatively. The team has a good bonhomie, whenever you ask Rohit about Virat's form, his answer is always positive. Even Rahul Dravid seems positive when it comes to Kohli's form."