Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Irfan has vehemently defended Virat Kohli’s place in the Indian team for the upcoming T20 World Cup, dismissing suggestions that the star batter could be dropped from the squad.
Irfan’s comments come in response to a report in the Telegraph claiming that the Indian selectors are considering omitting Kohli from the team for the marquee event in the West Indies and the USA. Kohli has been out of the T20 setup for over 14 months, having last played in the format against Afghanistan earlier this year.
However, Irfan strongly believes that Kohli’s absence from the squad would be a grave mistake. “He won the matches in recent times, it’s not fair to raise questions on his place. Those questioning Virat Kohli’s place in the T20 World Cup belong in gully cricket,” Irfan told News24.
Irfan emphasized Kohli’s match-winning abilities, particularly during the ODI World Cup last year. “We all saw what he did in the ODI World Cup last year, Virat Kohli won 3-4 matches in the World Cup for India on his own. If Kohli didn’t step up on that occasion, India would have lost 3-4 matches including group-stage matches against Australia and New Zealand where India lost early wickets. He finished the match on his own,” he added.
Kohli finished the World Cup as the leading run-scorer with 765 runs at an average of 95.62. He also topped the charts during the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022.
Irfan’s comments highlight the importance of Kohli’s experience and leadership in the Indian team. Despite missing the entire England Test series due to the birth of his son, Kohli is expected to return to action during the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
