Virat Kohli’s form is one of the most talked about topics in the cricket fraternity in the last few months. The upcoming ICC T20 world cup 2022 is just 3 months from now. The cricket experts are already divided over their opinion on whether Virat Kohli should be included in the squad, which will fly to Australia, or he should be dropped, considering the fact that the team’s interest is always above an individual.
It’s not that this issue has suddenly come from nowhere. Actually, the way Kohli has performed in all formats over the last 2 years has invited criticism. An important burning topic that is prevalent is whether Virat Kohli will be able to retain his place in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 squad?
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AN OVERVIEW OF VIRAT KOHLI’S FORM SINCE 2020
Virat Kohli, regarded as the modern-day run machine, has accumulated 23,683 runs across all formats, including 70 centuries. But, his career graph has taken an upside turn since 2020. In fact, it’s been more than 1000 days since the fans witnessed the last century coming from the blade of Virat Kohli.
Since 2020, Kohli has played 18 tests and scored 872 runs, at a poor average of 27.27, bringing his test overall average below 50. He has played 18 ODI, adding 702 runs, at an average of 39. T20 has been reasonably decent for Kohli, where he has accumulated 675 runs in 24 innings, at a healthy average of 42.18, including 6 half-centuries.
WHAT WILL GO IN FAVOUR OF KOHLI IN THE ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022
Virat Kohli is one of the most important players in the current Indian cricket team across all formats. He is not the captain anymore, but his experience will play a massive role in Australia. India has already faltered a lot in ICC events recently, and they would want Kohli to be in the scheme of things. Thankfully, he has got the backing of Rohit Sharma and a few selectors, who feel Kohli will regain his golden form before the world cup starts.
Another important reason the selectors can ill afford to drop Kohli is his massive popularity and brand image. Today, Kohli is the most watched cricketer on the Indian team. His every appearance is enough to attract investors, who pump in huge money to capitalize on his brand value.
If he does not feature in the Indian T20 squad, it will be a huge loss for BCCI and other stake owners, as the number of fans going to the stadium would decrease, which will affect the overall revenue of BCCI. Hence, the men who matter at the helm would like to stick with Kohli and hope he regains his form.
WHAT MIGHT GO AGAINST KOHLI IN ICC T20 WORLD CUP 2022
If parameters are the same for every cricketer, then in such a situation, the selectors can take the tough call if Kohli does not get back to form before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022. Can the selectors take the risk of persisting with Kohli and his bad form in a mega event like the T20 World Cup? This question will always be in the mind of the selectors.
It is said that you cannot get back to form unless and until you don’t play at the highest level. Surprisingly, Kohli has been taking rests quite often over the last few months. He has recently withdrawn from the West Indies tour, citing rest. It can prove catastrophic for Kohli, as India has less than 10 T20 matches left before the mega event.
Taking too many rests won’t do any justice for a player who needs match practice at the highest level. Even the former greats, such as Kapil dev, Sunil Gavaskar, etc, have come down heavily on Kohli, demanding unnecessary rests.
The onus lies entirely on Virat Kohli. It will be best for everyone that he gets back to form before the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 so that the Indian team can repeat the 2008 history. Although the probability of Virat Kohli featuring in the final squad for the t20 world cup is very high, it will be interesting to see how the selectors respond to a situation if Kohli’s form deteriorates further in days to come.