Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid know in-form Virat Kohli will be an asset at T20 World Cup: Saba Karim

Former India wicketkeeper and national selector Saba Karim believes India captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid know that an in-form Virat Kohli will be extremely beneficial for India’s success in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

Kohli is going through one of the leanest phases of his career as the star batter managed just 33 runs in 2 ODIs and 12 runs across 2 T20Is in England. Kohli also managed just 31 runs across 2 innings in the rescheduled fifth Test against England as his century drought has extended beyond 2 years.

Kohli has been rested for the ODI and the T20I series in the West Indies even as questions are being asked about the regular time he has been getting away from the sport despite the dip in form.

“First, I think the selectors and the team management have to figure out whether Virat Kohli is essential for India’s preparation for India’s T20 World Cup side or not. And 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,” Saba Karim told SPORTS18’s daily sports news show ‘SPORTS OVER THE TOP.’

“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. 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.’ So, I think once you decide that he is such an essential player for the team’s success, then I reach out to him. 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,” Karim added.

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 perform on the Zimbabwe tour.

“I would say that’d be a blunder from India’s perspective. Never do that. And I think Virat is such an important figure in the Indian line-up. 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 that he’s such an essential player for India’s success and take a call after the world cup T20 have another conversation with him and then decide how to take it forward. Because 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,” Karim signed off.

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