"I believe he just needs one good innings to return back to form" - Deep Dasgupta backs Virat Kohli to be among the runs soon
Former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta feels Virat Kohli might not be as far away from runs as people think. The 33-year-old finds himself in a rough spot with his spot for the 2022 T20 World Cup on the line.
On several occasions, the former Indian captain has looked in sublime touch but has failed to convert it into a significant score. Freakish dismissals coupled with good deliveries have often undone Kohli's time at the crease in the recent past.
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Claiming that Virat Kohli is batting 'beautifully', Deep Dasgupta told Jagran TV:
"In T20s, you need to take a risk... sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but Virat is batting beautifully. Although questions are being raised about his form, I believe he just needs one good inning(s) to return back to form. Virat is one of the best India has ever produced. There's no doubt about it."
Stating further that Kohli looks far from a batter who is out of form, Dasgupta added:
"Virat is going through a tough period. Take yesterday's example, his flick, the straight drive was just unbelievable! Whenever he is playing, it does not look like he is out of form. I don't feel he played a bad shot yesterday, maybe it was just his luck."
Kohli looked in sublime touch in the recently concluded third T20I against England at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.
With a mammoth target in sight, the ace batter employed an aggressive approach from the word go. After asserting himself with a couple of boundaries, Kohli was caught by Jason Roy inside the circle for 11.
"We should not overlook his past performances" - Rohit Sharma on Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, who averages over 50 and holds a strike rate of 137 in the shortest format of the game, is under pressure to retain his place in the playing XI.
The likes of Deepak Hooda and Shreyas Iyer have made their presence felt in limited opportunities over the course of the last few months.
Opining that poor performances in one or two series does not make Kohli a bad player, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma said:
"When a player is doing well for so many years, then one or two bad series does not make him a bad player. We should not overlook his past performances. We who are in the team know the importance of the player. They have got all the right to talk about it but it does not matter to us too much."
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Virat Kohli will have a chance to be back among in the runs during the upcoming ODI series against England. He is, however, a doubt for the first contest tomorrow (July 12) after sustaining a groin strain.