“If R Ashwin can be dropped from Test, why can’t Virat Kohli be dropped from T20Is”- Kapil Dev urges selectors to ignore reputation

“If R Ashwin can be dropped from Test, why can’t Virat Kohli be dropped from T20Is”- Kapil Dev urges selectors to ignore reputation

Virat Kohli and Kapil Dev

Former India captain Kapil Dev believes that if bowler Ravichandran Ashiwn with nearly 450 Test wickets can be dropped from Test matches, then selectors should do the same with Virat Kohli bacause of his prolonged lean patch.

Kohli hasn’t scored big runs since 2019 and in IPL 2022, he was cheaply dismissed most of the time with three ducks. The World Cup winning all-rounder Kapil Dev feels that the management will be doing disservice if they don’t include the in-form players in the playing XI to showcase their skills.

“Yes, now the situation is such that you might be forced to bench Kohli from T20 playing eleven. If world No. 2 bowler Ashwin can be dropped from Test side then (once upon a time) world No. 1 batter can also be dropped,” Kapil told a news channel.

“Virat is not batting at a level which we have seen him do over the years. He has made a name because of his performances but if he isn’t performing, then you can’t keep the performing youngsters out of the team,” said the legendary cricketer.

ALSO READ | Ravi Shastri enjoys Novak Djokovic’s Wimbledon Semi-Final

“Youngsters should try and outperform Virat”- Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev
Virat Kohli

Kapil Dev wants to see a healthy competition between the youngsters and the veterans. Kohli is not included in the West Indies ODI squad and Kapil Dev believes that just because he is not performing, he has been dropped from playing.

“I want competition for places in team in a positive sense that these youngsters should try and outperform Virat,” he said.

“You can call it rest and someone else will call it dropped. Every person will have his own view. Obviously, if selectors don’t pick him (Kohli), then it could be because a big player isn’t performing,” he observed.

According to him, management should ignore reputation and include the in-form players if the star players are in bad form.

“Play in-form players when you have loads of options,” said Kapil. “You can’t just go by reputation but you have to look for current form. You can be an established player but that doesn’t mean that you will be given chances even if you fail five games in a row,” he concluded.

ALSO READ | Ravindra Jadeja removes Instagram posts related to Chennai Super Kings