"You can't just keep picking a player because of what he has done in the past" - Michael Vaughan on Virat Kohli after India's win in 2nd IND vs ENG T20I
Former England captain Michael Vaughan feels the question marks over India star Virat Kohli's place in the T20I side are increasing exponentially with every single failure. The 33-year-old was dismissed for just one off three balls in the second T20I at Edgbaston on Saturday (July 9).
Vaughan added that he doesn't believe Kohli will be dropped immediately. However, he stated that in-form players like Deepak Hooda, who have taken their limited opportunities well, will definitely keep the former Indian skipper on his toes.
Sanju Samson fails in one match.
INCONSISTENT.
Virat Kohli fails multiple times.
KING WILL BE BACK.
#SanjuSamson
#ViratKohli
#INDvsENG https://t.co/n66qNchdys
Speaking on Cricbuzz after the second T20I, here's what Michael Vaughan had to say about Kohli's T20I future:
"He (Virat) needs to score runs at a good strike rate. I am sure Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma are not considering dropping him. But you can't just keep picking a player because of what he has done in the past."
Quite a few rumors have been circulating that Virat Kohli may not be picked for the five-match T20I series against the West Indies later this year. However, Vaughan opined that it was rather a blessing for the right-hander as he would get some much-needed rest.
The 47-year-old also feels that the pitch at Trent Bridge for the third T20I could help Kohli get back into form, and added:
"I have been saying he needs a break as it will do him a world of good. So missing the five T20Is against West Indies will be best thing to happen to him. But if there was ever a ground where you could get a quick score with great strike rate, Trent Bridge is the ground to get your form back."
Kohli is facing a bad phase of his carrier , he needs support from our side @imVkohli https://t.co/C7NFkTxoKb
Zaheer Khan on changes India can make for 3rd T20I
Former Indian pacer Zaheer Khan was also present on the Cricbuzz panel alongside Michael Vaughan. Khan revealed that he wanted to see a few changes in India's bowling now that they have won the series. The likes of Avesh Khan, Umran Malik and Ravi Bishnoi sat out the first two T20Is.
The 43-year-old has also claimed that the hosts will come hard at India, as they have nothing to lose having fallen to an unassailable 2-0 deficit. Khan stated:
"It will be interesting to see how India approaches the third game now. Are we going to see a lot of changes now with the series in the pocket, or are we going to have the same XI. I would like to see maybe Avesh, Umran or Bishnoi get a game. From England's point of view, the pressure of the series is off. So we might get to see something different."
It will be interesting to see whether Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid rejig their bowling attack in the dead rubber tonight (July 10). They will likely have one eye on continuity with the T20 World Cup to come later this year but may also be tempted to test their bench strength.