'Virat will always get extra chances. Can't be dropped straightaway': Nehra blocks 'outside voices' over Kohli's fate

Virat Kohli missed the first ODI against England after sustaining a groin strain and it remains to be seen whether he will return for the next two matches at Lord's and Manchester.

Not long ago, Virat Kohli would nonchalantly flick the ball when a bowler strayed on his pads. The bottom-handed grip helped it become one of his mainstay strokes, along with the trademark cover drive that had fans go gaga. The star batter whipped out his typical flick in the third Twenty20 against England on Sunday. He followed it up with an imposing six into the sightscreen but a ball later, he was walking back to the pavilion, having smacked it straight to the fielder at short extra cover. He fell for 11 off 6 deliveries – a representation of his wretched run with the bat.

India batter Virat Kohli warms up (Getty Images)

Kohli missed the first ODI against England after sustaining a groin strain and it remains to be seen whether he will return for the remaining two games at Lord's (July 14) and Manchester (July 17). While the Indian remains one of the finest players of his generation, he has looked like a pale shadow of his former self. Scores of 11, 20, 1 and 11 in his last four innings for India mean the mercurial batter has not scored an international century in any format since 2019. The 33-year-old also witnessed his worst IPL season for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 13 years.

It was in 2016 that Kohli explained the Indian think-tank's horses-for-courses approach – a selection policy under which you select a player based on his adaptability. Six years hence, he himself faces an uncertain future with fans wondering if pigeonholing Kohli to just one format is the solution to his botched run.

Amidst the debate over Kohli's place in the Twenty20 side, former India pacer Ashish Nehra has backed the former skipper, saying he deserves extra chances based on his past reputation. Nehra stressed that Kohli should stay away from 'outside voices' and that a month-long break would help him rejuvenate.

“There will be discussions even if you're not a player of Kohli's calibre. When you are playing, you try to focus on your game and not listen to so-called 'outside voices' from people outside the dressing room. It's important how your teammates, management and selectors are backing you... but we are talking about a guy like Virat. Yes, it's not written anywhere that he will keep playing for India even if he doesn't score runs. But when you have done so much in the past, you will always get extra chances," said Nehra in a virtual interaction organised by Sony Sports.

“Everybody knows his accomplishments and the talent he has. At the age of 33, fitness isn't a problem for him. Everybody is hopeful that Virat will come good, the quicker the better. Let's hope we see a different Virat after the West Indies series. If he rests for a month or five odd weeks, it will be helpful for him.”

Legendary Kapil Dev, in a recent interview, opined that if ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could be dropped from the Test arrangement, then so can be Kohli. But Nehra said it will be difficult for the team to drop a player of Kohli's calibre, further adding that playing all three formats takes a toll on mind and body.

"Yes, you get dropped when you don't perform. However, there are many ifs and buts. When you're a player like Virat who has scored runs and done so much for the country, he can't be dropped straightaway. Yes, Virat hasn't been among runs but dropping him isn't the solution. We are discussing Virat as an example. Even Rohit struggled before returning to form in the 50-over game. But he struggled in this year's IPL and other Twenty20 games. With the emergence of all formats, a player who plays across all three will get more chances to score but he can fail too," Nehra explained.

"A player like Virat can score in any format. It's rare to find him injured but it can happen to any player. Also, fans expect runs from Virat and he himself wants to return to form. Much of the discussion about the Indian team revolves around Virat. All-format players like Virat and Rohit will always attract discussions on their numbers."

Watch the LIVE coverage of England vs India – 2nd ODI on SONY SIX (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels on 14th July 2022 at 5:30 pm IST.