Former Indian cricketer, Ajit Agarkar, admitted that Virat Kohli’s runs are crucial for India and the team’s success as well while opining on the former skipper's struggle for runs lately, having made just 26 runs in the recently concluded three-match ODI series against the West Indies in Ahmedabad.
Ahead of the three-match T20I series against the West Indies, starting on February 16 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, the former pacer said that it is Kohli’s greatness that he didn’t let his form falter and he does better when he is under extra pressure.
The three-match T20I series-opening game in Kolkata on Wednesday will be Kohli’s first match in the shorter format after stepping down as captain, and Agarkar insisted that not being the captain anymore and that short break will not have any impact on the former skipper as a batter.
He further said that the Indian team management should decide whether Kohli should play a bit more aggressively or play the anchor’s role in the upcoming T20I series against the West Indies. In 2021, Kohli played 10 T20Is and amassed 290 runs with 4 fifties at an average of over 74.
Speaking to Star Sports show Game Plan, Agarkar said: “I don’t think it will be any different to the batsman. I think one of the top things about Virat Kohli, even when he was captain, he didn’t let his form falter. His runs didn’t dry up with the extra pressure which was his greatness as a captain.”
He explained, “So now that the pressure of being the captain is off, there might still be a role for him. Whether that’s to play a bit more aggressively or still bat the whole innings remains to be seen. I think that’s for the team management to decide but Virat Kohli’s runs are crucial for India. Every time he scores runs, India invariably ends up winning. So, his form is crucial to India’s success as well.”
On Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar, the former pacer noted: “Both are very good players as well as good strikers of the ball. I just feel Suryakumar Yadav is more versatile if you need him to bat a little bit higher or even if it’s at 5 or 6, he seems to have a bit more to his game or more all-round ability to his batting than Shreyas Iyer.”
He concluded, “Shreyas Iyer is a terrific player who can strike the ball well but at this point, if I had to pick one out of the two, it’ll have to be Suryakumar Yadav because he just seems in better form.”
