January 16th 2025.
It's no secret that Indian batsman Virat Kohli has been struggling against Australia. In fact, there are calls for him to be dropped from the team for their upcoming tour of England due to his recent form. Kohli, who is considered one of the greatest players of his generation, has seen a significant decline in his performance in the past few years. This was evident during the recent Border-Gavaskar Trophy, where he struggled to make an impact.
Although Kohli did score his 30th Test century in the series opener in Perth, it was the only highlight of his otherwise disappointing performance. In the next seven innings, he managed to contribute only 85 runs, with his vulnerability outside the off stump resulting in repeated nicking off. This, combined with Australia's remarkable comeback, led to their victory in the series and secured their spot in the World Test Championship final at Lord's this summer.
The question now is whether Kohli will be a part of India's touring party for their future matches in England, including a five-match Test series in 2025 against Ben Stokes' side. At 36 years of age, Kohli's average of less than 25 in 10 Tests in 2024 and only three centuries since the start of 2020 has raised concerns about his ability to perform at the highest level.
Former England cricketer and coach, David 'Bumble' Lloyd, spoke about Kohli's decline and admitted that it must be tough for him to accept. He compared his own retirement at the same age and acknowledged the difference in their abilities. Lloyd believes that Kohli's reflexes are not what they used to be and that most players tend to hang on for too long. He raises the question of whether India should now focus on building a team for the future, rather than relying on Kohli's past successes.
When asked if he would include Kohli in the team for India's tour of England, Lloyd's response was a firm "No." And he's not the only one with this opinion. Australian journalist and broadcaster, Jarrod Kimber, also believes that India should leave Kohli out of their Test squad going forward. He points out that Kohli has been on the decline for a while now, with only a few good innings to show for it. Kimber feels that Kohli's performance in Australia was not enough to warrant a place in the team for the England tour, and that he has only had one good year in the last four or five.
India's defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy was their second successive series loss, following their shock defeat at home to New Zealand. On the other hand, England's last series against India ended in a 4-1 defeat, but they have shown a lot of promise in 2024, winning eight out of their 12 Tests. As India looks towards their future matches, the question of Kohli's place in the team remains a topic of debate.
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