Live Score
Cricket Teams
Cricket Players
'Virat Kohli a great player but these days you can't play riding on your name': Former India cricketer's stern warning
Virat Kohli's place in the Indian team may become shaky if his run of poor form continues, according to the former India great.
Virat Kohli's stunning run of poor form continues to be a topic of discussion with the former India captain set to return to T20 international cricket during India's second match against England at Edgbaston on Saturday. While Kohli has not been able to score a century for over three years, his overall form with the bat has nosedived this year, starting with a dismal run in the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL) and then two low scores in the fifth Test against England.
It has led to speculation that the two remaining T20Is against England might just be Kohli's last chance to a secure a place in the squad for the T20 World Cup. Former India fast bowler Karsan Ghavri has said that Kohli may be one of the greatest players of his generation but he will have to score runs to keep his place in the Indian team.
"Virat Kohli is such a great player for India but unfortunately for the last two years, we have seen him getting caught behind or caught in the slips while chasing the delivery outside the off stump. He has to look at this and improve. He has to restrict those shots because if he keeps going like this and getting out and not getting runs, there comes a question mark - why is he not scoring?" Ghavri told Jagran TV.
"He has to prove his form in the current series. These days you can't play for long riding on your name. Virat is a great player but only his name will not work. He has to perform and score runs. This is how it goes. Everybody understands that he is going through a rough patch and it happens with every player. He has the hunger for runs, hunger for success in his heart but his personal form is quite disappointing," Ghavri added.
Kohli is now 33 and has stepped from captaincy in all formats, including the IPL. Ghavri said that his age won't really be a factor in his poor form but people may start questioning him more because of it. "Age has got nothing to do with sports as long as you are fit enough to compete. But if you are not doing well and you are 35, then people will start questioning you," he said.
