Despite his prolonged slump, Virati Kohlic is still one of the top players in the game of cricket. The lack of a century of batsmanship since 2019 has sparked a heated public debate about his future with the national team.
While some think Kohli needs a long rest to rediscover his mojo, others think the Indian should play often, especially with the World T20 less than three months away.
Deepak Hooda has taken advantage of the few opportunities he has had by scoring a T20 century while Kohli has a terrible time with the bat. Shreyas Iyer, who has been inconsistent lately competing for the No. 3 batting spot, is also still in the running.
Time for voters to decide on Virat Kohli’s backup: Saba Karim
Former national selector Saba Karim believes Kohli will start at No. 3 and either Hooda or Iyer will develop as backup candidates for the position.
“If Virat Kohli is available, he will of course walk into the XI at number 3. But the time has come for the selectors to decide who they want to be the reserve batter in the middle order. If they believe in Shreyas Iyer, they should keep playing him and hope he regains his form.
But if they’re still experimenting, then it’s the right time to play Hooda at number 3. He can also be handy with the ball, which is a huge plus for Team India.” he continued India News Sports.
Virat Kohli remains in his original number 3 place in the team: Wasim Jaffer
Although Kohli is likely to return for the Asian Cup, it is still unclear whether the team leadership would give Hooda or Iyer a chance. Even if both are selected for the competition, their chances of making it to the starting XI now seem slim.
Wasim Jaffer, a former batter, had already supported Kohli in his bid to regain the No. 3 position after joining the Indian team. Despite his underperformance, Jaffer placed Kohli in the top three, choosing Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul as his two openers.
“Virat remains at his original number 3 spot on the team. KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma should open, and other players such as Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan can make significant contributions to the squad.
I really like the aggressive approach that India has taken. India’s chances of winning (T20 World Cup) are high”, Jaffer stated during the audio portion of the “CricChat Powered by Parimatch” session of the Sharechat app.
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