ENG vs IND: If Ashwin can be dropped from Test, why can't Virat Kohli be dropped from T20Is, says Kapil Dev
India Today
Former India captain Kapil Dev feels if a bowler of Ravichandran Ashwin's calibre with nearly 450 Test wickets can be dropped from the Test team's playing eleven then Virat Kohli too is no longer indispensable in T20Is after his prolonged bad patch.
Former World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev believes that if star spinner Ravichandran Ashwin can be dropped from India's Test side, as he was throughout the five-Test series against England last year and at Edgbaston this month, why can't Virat Kohli be left out of the T20I squad after such a long lean patch with the bat.
Kohli hasn't been among big runs for nearly three years now and the World Cup-winning all-rounder feels that Indian team management will be doing a disservice if in-form players aren't given enough opportunities 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 the Test side, then (once upon a time) world No. 1 batter can also be dropped," Kapil told ABP News.
Kapil had no hesitation in saying that Kohli is currently looking like a shadow of his old self.
"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.
He would like to see a healthy competition for places on the side with youngsters posing challenges for star players.
"I want competition for places in the team in a positive sense that these youngsters should try and outperform Virat," he said.
