As they struggle throughout the series, Virat Kohli and other Indian hitters have had a miserable visit of Australia. Despite failing to reach the 50-run milestone for the rest of the series, Kohli achieved a century in the second innings of the Perth series opener. Furthermore, eight of his nine dismissals in the series came while he was attempting to play the same ball, demonstrating his inability to handle deliveries outside the off stump.
Regarding his performance in Australia, the 36-year-old amassed 190 runs at a lacklustre average of 23.75 in nine innings.
Irfan Pathan, a former all-rounder for India, blamed the dearth of local cricket experience on Virat Kohli’s and the Indian batters’ poor performance.
In light of their poor performance, Pathan also questioned the older players’ place in the Indian squad.
“Several players were given the chance to participate in domestic cricket, but they chose not to. What’s causing that? due to a shift in culture. We must alter the culture. As a team, we must make improvements for Indian cricket.
When did Virat Kohli last play domestic cricket, please? What time did it occur? According to Pathan, who was appearing on Star Sports, “even the great Sachin Tendulkar played Ranji Trophy even though it wasn’t required of him, only because he wanted to spend that much time—four or five days on the pitch.”
Time to shift the spotlight! 🌟 #IrfanPathan calls for an end to the superstar culture, emphasizing the importance of building a strong team-first mentality in Indian cricket💬🇮🇳#AUSvINDOnStar #ToughestRivalry #WTC #WorldTestChampionship pic.twitter.com/YQ6TKJUXe4
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 5, 2025
Does the senior player on the Indian squad deserve it? Irfan Pathan
Over the years, Kohli’s performance in the red-ball format has declined. Since 2019, the right-handed hitter has only amassed three hundreds. His Test average decreased from 54.97 in 2019 to 46.85 in 2025, which might be used to measure his Test slump. Pathan criticised the veteran for repeatedly making the same blunders while drawing attention to this problem.
“In the first innings of the 2024 Indian squad, which essentially sets up the game, Virat Kohli’s average is 15. Additionally, his average for the last five years isn’t even thirty. Does the senior player on the Indian squad deserve it? Give a kid a chance instead. Prepare him, tell him. Additionally, he will offer an average of 25–30. He went on, “This is about the team, not the individuals.”
Virat Kohli has accomplished a great deal for India. His performances are numerous. However, you keep escaping the same error. You’re not separating two errors. You are not attempting to correct the technical error. Sunny Sir [Sunil Gavaskar] is out on the field. How much time does it take to speak with someone like Sunny Sir? Finally, Pathan called it quits.
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