'You don't miss someone who averages 33': Virat Kohli faces sharp jab over England batting credentials

Virat Kohli announced his Test retirement before the India vs England series, and Michael Vaughan felt that his absence would not hurt Shubman Gill and Co.

The upcoming Test series in England will be a new experience for Indian cricket fans, with the first fixture set to begin on Friday in Leeds. The Indian cricket team will be without Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, as they both announced their Test retirements recently. Meanwhile, even R Ashwin won’t be present after retiring from all formats during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Shubman Gill has been appointed as the new Test captain, replacing Rohit. Rishabh Pant has taken over the vice-captaincy role. (IND vs ENG Live Score, 1st Test Day 1)

Virat Kohli walks back to the pavilion after his dismissal in a Test match.(AFP)

The first Test will see a new-look Indian top-order, with Yashasvi Jaiswal expected to open with GT star Sai Sudharsan. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill has confirmed that he will bat at No. 4, a position which Kohli made his own. Comeback king Karun Nair is also in contention, and could fill in at No. 3, but will also have KL Rahul eyeing that slot.

‘You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33…'

Many fans and experts have felt that Kohli’s absence in particular could be a huge talking point in the series. The RCB star is also a former Test skipper, and it was under him, that India became a Test cricketing giant. He also had his aggressive personality in the field, which saw him get into multiple altercations, but it also motivated him and his teammates.

Speaking to Fox Sports, England legend Michael Vaughan stated that Kohli’s dressing room presence and on-field energy would be missed more than his batter, and remarked that his batting would not be missed due to his Test average. Kohli has scored 1096 runs in 17 Tests in England, at an average of 33.21.

“Kohli is a legend and a culture creator around this Indian team, and what he brought as a captain to the team is still there in terms of the energy and the drive and the aggression,” he said.

“But he only averaged 33 here in the UK. You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33, but you miss someone that brings so much to the dressing room."

But Vaughan also feels that the new generation of Indian cricketers selected in the team are capable enough of playing well in England. “These players that are going to come in and play for India, they’re seriously good players,” he said.

“Maybe this new generation has been waiting. Maybe they’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t be surprised that they play really well,” he added.