‘Dangerous to cut off Virat Kohli’, says Adam Gilchrist on former India captain’s T20 World Cup 2022 participation

Former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist feels it will be dangerous to drop Virat Kohli from the team at this moment and India should have the star batter for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022 to be held in Australia in October-November.

Kohli has not scored a century since November 2019, struggled for runs during this year’s IPL 2022 and even failed to contribute much with the bat during the recently-concluded tour of England. There have been calls to drop him from the national team and also to not pick for the World Cup if he continues to struggle in the next few series.

“It will be dangerous to cut Virat off at the moment. He is, maybe, a break away from freshening up. He has such a vast experience. He has set a high standard for a long time, so we are judging against a great player,” said Gilchrist.

One of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen ever, Gilchrist mentioned that Rishabh Pant’s talent excites him but he avoided an inference if Indian cricket is right in fast-tracking him into leadership roles. “He is one of the most exciting cricketers to watch, I think he just lights up a stage, and makes an electric atmosphere when he is playing. The BCCI, the management and the selectors will just need to be patient with him,” the three-time World Cup winner said.

“If he doesn’t score in a few innings, they shouldn’t be too harsh on him because you don`t want to suppress the natural flair. I can’t comment on the captaincy side, whether he wants to do it, whether he is keen,” he added.

The Australian great also said that India are strong contenders for the World Cup. “India are a talented squad of players and you can say that they are playing right now without their first eleven but getting great results. They are broadening their squad and filling this talent pool with international experience, so they have as good a chance as any team in Australia,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, former India selector Saba Karim felt imposing the condition of playing ODIs against Zimbabwe to be in frame for the World Cup shouldn’t be on Kohli. “I would not want to have any kind of imposition on Virat Kohli that ‘Hey listen, you have to come back and play this Zimbabwe series otherwise we`ll not pick you for the World Cup T20’. So, I think once you decide that he is such an essential player for the team`s success, then I reach out to him. I`ll say okay, it is up to you to decide whether you want to come back and play the Zimbabwe ODI or you want to take an extended break and come back for the Asia Cup T20,” Saba Karim said on Sports18’s daily sports news show ‘Sports Over The Top’.

"Some players need only an innings or two to get back in form."@ImRo45 feels 'quality is permanent' as many hope @imVkohli will be a part of the tour.

For more such takes, watch #SportsOTT, every weeknight at 8 pm #Sports18 pic.twitter.com/rsBSZ43rEh

— Sports18 (@Sports18) July 28, 2022

Continuing from Karim’s views, former New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris thinks that playing in ODI series in Zimbabwe will not give Kohli significant gains from form perspective. “Firstly, I loved hearing what a selector goes through in the process that they don`t just simply pick a team or pick the best players. There’s a real methodology around how they go about putting a team together. I can tell you there are plenty of times I wish I could have a conversation with our selectors back here in New Zealand about certain things.”

(with IANS inputs)