Virat Kohli made 12 runs in the two T20Is he played against England.
This comes after Kohli’s inability to score big runs on the ongoing England tour as he failed in the fifth Test match while scoring just 12 runs in two T20Is he played. 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).
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.
“There will be discussions even if you're not a player of Kohli's caliber. 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 organized by Sony Sports.
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“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,” he added.
Recently, India’s legendary captain Kapil Dev opined that if ace off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could be dropped from the Test arrangement, then so can be Kohli.
However, Nehra stated that it will be very difficult to drop Virat Kohli from the team given his stature, but also added that playing all three formats is taking a toll on his body and his mind.
"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 straight away. 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,” Nehra signed off.
(Sony Sports inputs)