15 July,2022 07:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Harit Joshi
Virat Kohli
Has the axe finally fallen on Virat Kohli or has the run-deprived star India batsman been rested for the upcoming West Indies tour? The BCCI didn't tell us that in their press release.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah and chief selector Chetan Sharma did not respond to messages from this correspondent seeking clarity on Kohli's non-inclusion.
Kohli's name did not figure in the ODI squad for the three ODIs in the West Indies announced on July 6 as well as in Thursday's team announcement for the three T20 internationals in the Caribbean.
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âRest' is a term often used instead of âdropped' as seen in the last few years, starting with the mysterious non-inclusion of MS Dhoni before he hung his boots from international cricket.
With the T20 World Cup in Australia just a few months away, Kohli's non-inclusion begs the question as to whether he is in the selectors' scheme of things for the mega tournament.
Balvinder Singh Sandhu, a member of India's 1983 World Cup team, felt Kohli should have been on the plane to the West Indies as playing there would have helped him rediscover his mojo.
"The man who was not in form went to England and played on seaming tracks which are not easy to score runs on. The wickets in the West Indies are much better to bat on, the best place to get back to form. The ball comes onto the bat nicely and you can play your shots and get back your form, your confidence," Sandhu, who has coached at multiple levels, told mid-day.
Also Read: Break will do Virat Kohli good, feels Ashish Nehra
Kohli, 33, has suffered a prolonged lean patch with his last international century coming in 2019 during the day-night Test against Bangladesh in Kolkata. A groin injury made him miss the first ODI v England, but he was back for the second contest at Lord's on Thursday.
Sandhu felt Kohli must utilise the break from international duty astutely. "He needs someone who can guide him and show him the areas he needs to work on. Bowlers have developed a strategy of how to get him out. Now, the ball is in his court and he has to produce a counter strategy because the bowlers are not going to change their tactics. Virat should play his shots because he is a stroke-maker. Playing his range of shots gives him confidence. When an attacking player becomes defensive, he is bound to make a wrong judgment [of shot selection] at that moment," said Sandhu.
Sandhu reckoned Kohli should consult Sir Vivian Richards to sort out his batting woes. "There is a lot of cricket left in him [Kohli]. He is an entertainer. He is like Viv Richards. Vivian had the ability to flick an outside the off stump ball to the square leg or play a straight drive or hit the same ball to midwicket. But if the ball is just short of length, he would go back and cut. That is how he never allowed the bowlers to dominate. He should speak to Richards about tackling his problems. He should also watch videos on how Richards batted in English conditions," signed off Sandhu.
For the record, the man from Antigua smashed 3,402 international runs in 55 games on English soil.
Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal were on Thursday rested from the five T20Is against the West Indies, to be played in the Caribbean and the US from July 29. K L Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav were picked subject to fitness. R Ashwin also made a comeback.
