‘If someone else was going through the rough patch which Virat Kohli is, he would have been dropped’ – Syed Kirmani on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli’s crisis on the pitch shows no signs of coming to an end. Every single time when he takes to the field with his helmet on and with the bat in his hand, and he plays some of his signature drives and blocks, giving fans the hope that he has managed to turn a corner, he gets out in either the most bizarre manner possible or to a routine outside off-stump delivery that should’ve been better left alone.

The disappointment on Virat Kohli’s face when he takes the long walk back to the pavilion with his head shaking and his body language not giving away anything tells a sad story, but one that is becoming increasingly familiar with fans of Indian cricket.

Even though on a personal level, Kohli, who is now well into his 30s and has lived the ups and downs of an illustrious sporting career, seems to be at peace and not too worried about this chapter of his career. But for Indian cricket, the question continues to be out there. How long can the biggest talisman of their generation keep failing before the team starts to look for different options and alternatives?

“There is a tough competition in the Indian team. Look, if someone else was going through the rough patch which Kohli is, he would have been dropped from the team by now. But I feel that an established player should be given the benefit of the doubt,” Syed Kirmani, member of India’s 1983 World Cup squad, said.

Criticism was especially fervent, this time even from ex cricketers and experts, after Kohli’s recent failings against England, in the fifth Test and also during the limited overs series. The former Indian skipper showed signs of returning to form with some solid starts in the ODI series but failed to convert those into longer, meaningful innings and returned to the hut rather quickly.

For the moment, Kohli seems to have the support of the team management as so vocally addressed by captain Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid. Syed Kirmani is also of the opinion that once he manages to turn a corner and returns to form, he will be unstoppable.

“Virat Kohli has loads of experience. He should be in the T20 World Cup squad. Once Kohli returns to form, he will be unstoppable. He could be a game-changer. A player with Kohli’s experience and abilities deserves to be in the World Cup squad,” Kirmani told Dainik Jagran.