Virat Kohli’s childhood coach Rajkumar Sharma has opposed the legendary Kapil Dev’s statement about dropping the veteran batter from the T20I format.

Kohli is enduring an extended lean patch with the bat across formats. After a dismal IPL 2022 campaign for RCB, where he scored only 341 runs in 16 games at an average of 22.73 and a strike rate of 115.98, the right-hander is now struggling for runs in the ongoing England tour.

Virat failed to make a mark in the Edgbaston Test, scoring 11 and 20 across the two innings while he made just 1 on his comeback to the T20I side on Saturday (July 9).

There are reports doing rounds in the media that Virat Kohli might be benched during the T20 World Cup 2022, which will take place in Australia later this year.

Recently, India’s World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev said Kohli will need to improve his performance and if senior spinner Ravichandran Ashwin could be dropped from the Test squad then Virat could be axed from the T20I squad as well.

“Yes, now the situation is such that you might be forced to bench Kohli from T20 playing eleven. If world No. 2 bowler Ashwin can be dropped from Test side then (once upon a time) world No. 1 batter can also be dropped,” Kapil told ABP News.

However, Rajkumar Sharma expressed his disagreement with Kapil Dev.

"I do not support the statements made by Kapil Dev on Virat Kohli. Nothing big happened with Virat that such kind of statement has been issued. Why is there so much hurry with Virat, he has done so well for the country. Making 70 international centuries is not a small thing. I do not think the board will make a decision to have him sit on the bench," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Virat Kohli will now be seen in action in the third T20I against England at Trent Bridge on Sunday (July 10).

(With ANI inputs)