Former Indian batter Rohan Gavaskar slammed retirement discussions for Virat Kohli. A few of the experts felt Kohli was under pressure for his place in the team after a forgettable tour of Australia. The veteran could only manage 190 runs in five Test matches at an average of 23.75 and failed to deliver the goods.
However, Gavaskar quashed such claims, stating that Kohli is playing at the top of his game in the ODI format. The talisman was able to prove his mettle in the Champions Trophy, scoring 218 runs in five matches of the tournament at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 82.89.
Kohli scored an unbeaten century in the high-octane clash against Pakistan whereas he scored another match-winning knock of 84 runs off 98 balls in the semifinal against Australia.
Speaking to Cricbuzz, Rohan Gavaskar said, “With Virat, forget fitness, just his batting ability and his form, the runs he is scoring in the ODI version, this really shouldn’t be a topic of conversation at all. He is one of the greatest to have played the game. Why are we even trying to debate this?”
Gavaskar added that age should not be the parameter while picking the team and the best players should make it to the squad.
“When you are playing for your country, whether you are 12, 13, 14 or 40, 42, 43 – it shouldn’t make any difference. You pick the best 15, whatever your age may be. If a player is in your best 15, best 11, you pick him irrespective of age because you are playing for your country. You want the best players out there.”
Meanwhile, the Champions Trophy triumph was the fourth ICC title for Virat Kohli after the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2013 Champions Trophy, and 2024 T20 World Cup and he said winning four ICC titles is a true blessing.
Kohli said on Star Sports, “Winning four ICC titles is truly a blessing, and I consider myself very lucky to have played for so long and achieved this.
“Throughout the tournament, different players stepped up in different matches. There were moments in past tournaments where we weren’t able to finish games or capitalize on crucial situations. But this time, we learned from those experiences,” he commented.
Kohli will play for RCB in the upcoming IPL 2025.
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