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'Virat will remain in his original place': Former batter refuses to write off Kohli, picks India's top-3 for T20 WC
Kohli could manage just 76 runs from six innings across formats on England soil, which included the rescheduled fifth Test, two ODIs and as many Twenty20s.
Virat Kohli's prolonged lean patch has been a hot topic of debate, especially after calls for his omission from the current set-up, which will head to Australia for the World T20 later this year. The star batter has struggled for runs, having not touched the three-figure mark in any format for almost three years. While some believe the Indian needs a break to find his rediscovered mojo, others have backed Kohli saying he needs regular game-time to find his rhythm before the T20 showpiece event.
Former cricketer Wasim Jaffer has shared his thoughts on Kohli's batting slump – a major concern for the selectors while picking India's squad for the marquee competition. The mercurial batter could manage just 76 runs from six innings across formats on England soil, which included the rescheduled fifth Test, two ODIs and as many Twenty20s.
Kohli endured a torrid 12 months that also saw him getting replaced as India's captain. But Jaffer slotted Kohli at the No. 3 spot, saying he retains his “original” position with skipper Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as openers of the Indian Twenty20 side.
"Virat will remain in his original No. 3 place in the team. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma should open, and other players like Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, and Ishan Kishan can contribute significantly to the squad. I feel that the aggressive approach that India has undertaken is very nice to witness. India's chances of winning (T20 World Cup) are bright," Jaffer said in the audio session of 'CricChat Powered by Parimatch' on the Sharechat app.
The sport's busy calendar attracted a lot of criticism when England all-rounder Ben Stokes announced his retirement from ODIs last month. Former England captain Nasser Hussain even described the global cricket schedule as "madness".
Jaffer shared his verdict on cricket's packed schedule and said it would have been "tough" for him to fit in all three formats.
"Fitting in all three formats of cricket would have been exceedingly tough (ODI, T20, and Test). You must change and adapt to the format, or you will cease to exist. Despite my high esteem for players like Cheteshwar Pujara, one cannot play like him in this era, or you'll merely play Test cricket, which is also not guaranteed," he explained.
The domestic stalwart also opened up about his hilarious banter with Michael Vaughan, which often leaves fans in splits. "Any Tom, Dick, and Harry comes and puts India down, which I don't like. I feel like if I have got the platform, I should give a reply," said the Indian.
