"Sometimes you need to make tough decisions" - Brad Hogg on whether Virat Kohli should be in India's T20 World Cup squad
Indian batsman Virat Kohli's poor run of form continued as he was dismissed for 16 off 25 balls against England in the second ODI at Lord's on Thursday (July 14). Questions about the 33-year-old's place in India's T20 World Cup squad have begun to mount with each failure.
Former Australian left-arm wrist-spinner Brad Hogg recently provided his opinion on the precarious situation Kohli finds himself in at the moment. According to the 51-year-old, form is of paramount importance when picking a T20 team. However, Hogg also believes a player of Kohli's quality is too good to be kept out.
The former Indian skipper has been a dependable batter for the Men in Blue across formats over the years. Hogg feels the team management needs to stick to him because of the stability he brings to the batting line-up.
Jos Buttler said "Virat Kohli is a human and he may have some low scores - he has been the best ODI player in the world, I am really surprised that Virat is facing criticism - he has won lots of games for India".
Replying to Sportskeeda's query during a media interaction featuring Western Australia tourism, the ambassador of Lifeline WA said about Virat Kohli's situation:
"On the selection space, I have got my opinion and it's the same with the Australian team. You pick your best XI for the T20 team."
Hogg added:
"The game has been more aggressive. You're scoring at higher rates and taking on the bowling. So sometimes you need to make tough decisions. But you still need that batter to bat through the innings."
Team India recently tried Rishabh Pant at the top of the order to take full advantage of the field restrictions. While Hogg likes the idea, he still feels Kohli's best position is at the top of the order. The former ICC World Cup winner stated:
"I think Virat Kohli is best at the top of the order where the field is up and he has got that timing to pierce the field and get his run rate up. So there are a few decisions that India has to make."
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Brad Hogg on reasons for Virat Kohli's dip in form
Brad Hogg is of the opinion that in the past couple of years, Virat Kohli has had to adapt to quite a few changes in his professional life. He is no longer the captain of the team and the 51-year-old feels his entire saga with the board might have taken a toll on him.
Hogg stated:
"Look, he has been under pressure in the last couple of years with the restrictions that the players have had to lead all three formats. I think there was a bit of pressure from the hierarchies too with him captaining all three formats as well. So, that would have been playing on his mind."
Along with changes on the field, Virat Kohli also had a few important off-the-field moments as he became a father last year. Hogg reckons so many changes in the former Indian captain's life have made him a bit unsettled. He is hopeful that Kohli will find his form again soon and added:
"He has had new additions to his family. So there have been lots of changes to Virat's world. So I just want him to be back at his best, because when he is at his best, it's great to watch."
Captain Rohit Sharma has also repeatedly backed Virat Kohli despite his poor run of form. All eyes will be on how the latter performs in the Asia Cup in August.