"Fans are upset with Virat Kohli's recent performances" - former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria
Former Pakistan spinner Danish Kaneria discussed Virat Kohli's form and his expectations of the batter in the series against South Africa on his YouTube channel. He expects Virat Kohli to step up and perform as India look to capture their maiden Test series win on South African soil. He believes it is an excellent opportunity for the champion cricketer to prove his mettle yet again.
Speaking on his official YouTube channel, Kaneria pointed out that Kohli has failed to come up with a big knock lately. It's been over two years since the star right-hander's last international century.
He stated how many supporters have been dissatisfied with the prolific run-scorer's recent outings. However, he reckons Kohli's return to form will be aided by the South Africa tour.
Kaneria added that Kohli has the ability to turn things around on his own. However, he will certainly miss having a seasoned campaigner like Rohit Sharma in the squad for the crucial assignment.
Here's what Danish Kaneria said:
"There is a lot of buzz surrounding the Kohli-BCCI row, but now it's time to do business. Virat hasn't scored a century in two years. Fans are also upset with his recent underwhelming performances. A big opportunity for him to lead India to a series win in South Africa, while also contributing with the bat. Only negative for Kohli is that he doesn't have Rohit Sharma with him for the Test series."
Notably, Virat Kohli performed exceedingly well when the Indian team last visited South Africa. With 286 runs from three matches, he finished as the leading run-scorer in the Test series. He was also the only player to hit a ton in the series.
Preparations done ✅
It's time ⏳
Let the game begin 💪🏻
#TeamIndia #SAvIND https://t.co/GZ4G0X8YXU
"Will become difficult for Virat Kohli to remain Test captain if he fails in South Africa" - Danish Kaneria
The 41-year-old mentioned that that it becomes imperative for Kohli to do well in South Africa, amid the hullabaloo regarding the split captaincy. Kohli stepped down from the T20 captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup. He was also sacked later on as ODI captain and replaced by Rohit Sharma in both formats.
Kaneria opined that if he fails to perform, then he could have to let go of the side's red-ball captaincy as well.
He added:
"If Virat Kohli doesn't score runs, or if he fails to lead India to a series win in South Africa, it will become difficult for him to remain as the Test captain."
Watch Danish Kaneria's full video here: