"Even that guy will maintain a batting average of 25-30" - Former India all-rounder slams Virat Kohli over poor show in BGT 2024-25
Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has questioned Virat Kohli's place in the Test team after the senior batter endured another poor series with the willow in Australia. Pointing out that the former India captain has averaged just around 30 in Tests in the last five years, he opined that even a youngster can produce such numbers if given such a long run.
Kohli ended BGT 2024-25 with 190 runs in nine innings at a poor average of 23.75. Barring an unbeaten 100 in the second innings of the Perth Test, he failed to make an impact with the bat as India lost the five-match series 3-1.
Speaking to Star Sports after India lost the Sydney Test by six wickets on Sunday, January 5, Pathan questioned Kohli's place in the team and commented:
"He has made a lot of runs, but in 2024, batting in the first innings where you set up the match, Kohli averages just 15. If we take out his stats for the last five years, he barely averages 30. Does the Indian team deserve that from its senior player? It's better to give a youngster a long run, tell him to get ready; even that guy will maintain a batting average of 25-30."
While admitting that Kohli has been an excellent servant of Indian cricket for several years, the 40-year-old criticized the star batter for failing to work on his flaws. All of Kohli's dismissals in BGT 2024-25 came while playing balls outside the off stump. Pathan elaborated:
"When we are talking about Virat Kohli, we are not degrading him...He has done remarkable things for India, performed a lot of times. But you are getting out committing the same mistake again and again...the technical mistake that Sunny (Gavaskar) sir also mentioned. You are not trying to improve that."
"Sunny sir is right here (in Australia). How much time does it take to reach out and ask him 'sir, what can I do (to correct myself). Improving mistakes requires hard work, which isn't showing (in Kohli's case)," the T20 World Cup winner added.
Since the start of 2020, Kohli has featured in 39 Test matches, scoring 2,028 runs at an average of 30.72, with three centuries.
"When last did Virat Kohli play domestic cricket?" - Irfan Pathan questions superstar culture
Even before the start of the home series against Bangladesh, several experts opined that the likes of Kohli and Rohit Sharma must play domestic cricket to regain their batting rhythm.
Pathan also slammed the 'superstar' culture in the Indian team and questioned why Kohli has not played any domestic match for over a decade. The former all-rounder opined:
"India doesn't need superstar culture, India needs team culture. Tell me one thing. When last did Virat Kohli play domestic cricket, even despite being free, when did it happen?. It's been so long...Even the great Sachin Tendulkar played (domestic cricket) after that (2012). He didn't have to but still he played."
Kohli began BGT 2024-25 with scores of 5 & 100* in Perth. The right-handed batter was dismissed for 7 & 11 in Adelaide and 3 in Brisbane. He followed it up with 36 & 5 in Melbourne and ended the series with 17 & 6 in Sydney.