"He kept his team ahead of himself" - Piyush Chawla feels Virat Kohli was selfless in his approach in 2nd IND vs ENG T20I
Star Indian batter Virat Kohli just doesn't seem to be able to get rid of his poor form as he was dismissed for just 1(3) against England in the second T20I at Edgbaston on Saturday. The 33-year-old was done in by debutant Richard Gleeson's pace and bounce.
Indian leg-spinner Piyush Chawla feels the criticism Kohli has faced over his latest failure is a bit harsh. He reckons Kohli was just trying to adapt to the new batting template India have begun following in the shortest format.
Nottingham Next. 🇮🇳💪 https://t.co/z1Y7tkD9UA
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo after the game, Chawla explained how despite not being able to time the ball, Kohli still went for a powerful whip over mid-wicket. He feels that it shows how selfless and committed he was to the team's cause of taking the attack to the opposition. The leg-spinner said:
"Speaking of Virat Kohli and his wicket, he played for the team and embraced their attacking brand of cricket. He saw that the ball was there to be hit and he went for it. Although he isn't in the greatest of forms, what's important to see is that he kept his team ahead of himself."
Virat Kohli entertaining the crowd with his dance 😊🇮🇳 https://t.co/qGzWdQwU1q
Virat Kohli is capable of adapting to the team's needs: Piyush Chawla
Piyush Chawla also believes Kohli's place in India's T20I team should not be under the scanner as he is a world-class player.The leg-spinner feels that the right-hander is probably just one big knock away from finding form. He stated:
"Virat Kohli is capable of adapting to the team's needs. It is just a matter of one innings and one big score and we will be able to see the Kohli that we wanted to from the past 18 months."
With rumors suggesting that Kohli might not be picked for the West Indies T20Is, the final T20I against England at Trent Bridge on Sunday might be crucial for the former Indian captain.