Virat Kohli’s future in international cricket has been clouded by a number of questions following a lean batting slump that has plagued him for the previous few months. Given the upcoming bilateral tours and significant ICC tournaments, the rumours about his uncertainty have only grown.
In his compliments, former Indian cricketer Sourav Ganguly compared Kohli to women’s cricket greats like Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami and said that he was surprised by his lacklustre play in Australia.
Virat Kohli, like Mithali and Jhulan, is a once-in-a-lifetime cricket player. In international cricket, it is amazing to score 80 (81), hundreds. He is, in my opinion, the best white-ball player the world has ever seen. However, following the hundred in Perth, I was genuinely taken aback by his batting performance in Australia. “I thought it would be a big series for him after the hundred in Perth,” Ganguly said in an interview with Revsportz in Kolkata, “but he struggled before that here (in India).”
Virat Kohli, however, has a lot to contribute to cricket, according to the former head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
“However, it does occur. Every player has skills and shortcomings, in my opinion, but how you overcome them to play excellent cricket over time is what counts. “I still think Virat Kohli has a lot of cricket left in him,” Ganguly continued.
He will have significant challenges during the England tour: Sourav Ganguly
In June of this year, India would embark on a five-match tour of England, and Ganguly was a little worried about how Kohli would perform.
The visit of England will also provide a significant obstacle for him. His performance in the Champions Trophy doesn’t really concern me because he is the best white-ball player the world has seen in a long time. In these conditions, he will score runs in this event,” he said.
The former Indian captain described what Kohli and company have to do to win in foreign settings, like England.
“But they will have to bat more effectively than they did in Australia when playing red-ball cricket on seaming and swinging wickets. In Test matches abroad, I’ve always maintained that you put yourself in a winning position if you score 350–400 runs in the opening innings. You are always struggling to stay alive if you get bowled out for less than 200. They scored 400–500 runs in Perth, which is why they prevailed, Ganguly said.