Veteran India batter Virat Kohli is going through a lean patch with the bat for quite a while now. His last international ton came in 2019 and his disappointing run of form continued in the ongoing England tour.
Kohli could manage only 11 and 20 in Edgbaston Test and could score only 12 runs in his two innings in T20Is. While the right-hander didn’t feature in the first ODI due to a groin injury, he made only 16 runs on his comeback in the second ODI at Lord’s on Thursday (July 14).
As a result, Kohli has come under the scanner and now questions are being raised over his place in the national side by former cricketers, including Kapil Dev and Virender Sehwag.
Amid the recent development, former England spinner Monty Panesar also shared his views on under-fire Virat Kohli.
In an interview with Times of India, Panesar claimed that the BCCI can’t drop Kohli because of the whopping financial sponsorship that the senior batter brings with his presence in the team.
"It's like Cristiano Ronaldo. Whenever Ronaldo plays for Manchester United, everyone's watching the football. Virat Kohli is the same. He has got a huge following and attraction," Panesar said.
"Are BCCI under pressure too, regardless of whatever the result and role Virat Kohli has to play, to keep the sponsors happy? That's probably the biggest question. They can't drop him or afford to drop him because they'll probably lose huge financial sponsorship," he added.
The former cricketer also asked whether the same logic will work when India will go into a marquee event like the T20 World Cup or a 50-over World Cup.
"The difficulty here is that he is the most marketable cricketer in the world. Fans love him a lot. We all just love Virat and his intensity. Sometimes, it's borderline but he's very much admired in England. So, from the BCCI's perspective, they've got to sit down and decide.
"From a financial perspective, other boards gained so much from Virat Kohli. But is Virat really good for the India side right now? But then would it mean at the expense of them not winning a T20 World Cup or a 50-over World Cup? That's the biggest question at the moment," he stated.
Virat Kohli will be next seen in action during the third ODI against England on July 17 and would be hoping to return to form. The 33-year-old has been rested from the upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies, beginning July 22.
(With TOI inputs)
