Virat Kohli faces intense criticism from former teammate: 'Does team deserves such senior player?'

Add as a preferred source on Google

The Border Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 ended in an embarrassing 3-1 defeat for India with Virat Kohli's dismal performance coming under scrutiny. Former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised significant concerns about Virat Kohli's recent performances and approach to his game.

Speaking on Star Sports, Pathan did not shy away from questioning the former captain's commitment to self-improvement and his place in the Indian Test team, especially after a disappointing series loss to Australia.

This marked Australia's first Test series win in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in ten years. Kohli's underwhelming contributions with the bat, aside from a lone century in Perth, were a significant letdown. Across eight innings, he managed just 190 runs at an average of 23.75, often falling victim to Australian pacer Scott Boland.

Pathan highlighted Kohli's lack of participation in domestic cricket as a major factor in his technical struggles. "When was the last time Kohli played a domestic match? Even Sachin Tendulkar, long retired, has appeared more recently in domestic games. Kohli has been a phenomenal contributor to Indian cricket, but repeating the same mistakes shows a lack of effort to address technical flaws," Pathan remarked.

He added that Sunil Gavaskar, who has consistently pointed out Kohli's issues, is available for guidance, yet no visible efforts have been made to seek help.

The former all-rounder didn't hold back in questioning Kohli's place in the team, given his declining numbers. "Kohli's Test average has fallen below 47 for the first time since 2016. In the first innings of Tests in 2024, his average is just 15. Over the last five years, it's below 30. Does the team deserve such returns from a senior player?" Pathan asked.

Pathan also urged India to move away from a "superstar culture," emphasising the need for a team-first approach. He suggested that younger players might provide similar or better averages while contributing to the team's long-term success.