Former India selector, Saba Karim reckons that the Indian skipper, Rohit Sharma, and head coach Rahul Dravid is well aware of the capabilities of an in-form Virat Kohli as the latter can help India win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Kohli is going through one of the roughest patches of his career as the star batter managed just 33 runs in 2 ODIs and 12 runs across 2 T20Is in England. Kohli has been rested for the ODI and the T20I series in the West Indies.
During a chat on Sports18, Saba Karim said, “Once the selectors decide the team management feels that Virat Kohli is essential to the team’s success then I’d chart a path for Virat Kohli’s come back to great form. I think that’s the time when the selectors or the captain or Rahul Dravid would love to have a chat with him and then try and take it forward.”
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He further explained, “I would not want to have any kind of imposition on Virat Kohli that ‘Hey listen, you have to come back and play this Zimbabwe series otherwise we’ll not pick you for the World Cup T20.’ I’ll say okay, it is up to you to decide whether you want to come back and play the Zimbabwe ODI or you want to take an extended break and come back for the Asia Cup T20.”
Saba Karim further stressed that Kohli is still an important figure in the Indian dressing room, and hence, it would be a blunder for the team to phase him out even if he fails to get his form back during the Zimbabwe tour.
Explaining his thoughts, Saba Karim said, “The way I look at it, the way Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid have backed him, that makes sense because they know that Virat Kohli, fully back in good form, will be extremely beneficial for the team’s success in the World Cup T20. So, I think for the time being, as I said earlier, have a chat with Virat Kohli, find some kind of a common part and then try and take it forward and make him feel as much as possible”
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Saba Karim concluded, “Virat Kohli in the past several years has taken breaks at the right time. Although he remains an all three formats player for India. But the Indian team management has taken the right steps in order to assess his workload management and has given him the breaks at the right time.”
