If Virat Kohli was English, I would be saying we need to take pressure off our star asset: Graeme Swann

Former England spinner Graeme Swann has said that if Virat Kohli were English, he would ask people to take the pressure off the “star asset”. He said that people should let the 33-year-old perform rather than put more undue pressure. He added that fans can either continue to heap pressure on him if they do not want him in the team, or they can go easy on him and value the asset.

Former India batter Ajay Jadeja also agreed with Swann, adding that Kohli always comes with pressure and expectations because of the high standards he has set. He said that we are, at the moment, seeing the worst of Kohli, adding that the former India captain should be given more time.

“Maybe when you have got a player as good as him, if he was English and I was in the English media, I would be saying hey, we need to ease up on him, we need to take pressure off our star asset so that he performs rather than putting more undue pressure on him, just saying,” Swann said on the Sony Sports Network after the third T20I.

If you do not want Virat Kohli in your team, keep on heaping the pressure: Swann

“As a player, you would feel the pressure from fans and fans have a job, that you can make it easier for your players or you can make it harder,” added the former English bowler. “If you do not want Virat Kohli in your team anymore, by all means, keep on heaping the pressure or if you value the asset, then go easy on him.”

“You know what is the best of Kohli, at the moment you are probably getting the worst of Virat Kohli. He is only going to get better, I am with Swann, take the pressure off him rather than putting more on him,” said Jadeja. “Give him a little more time, let him take more time, you are trying out players anyway, why don’t you give him a little extra time.”

Kohli, in the second and third T20Is against England, scored one off three balls and 11 off six balls. In the rescheduled fifth Test match at Edgbaston, he scored 11 and 20 in the two innings. In 2022, he has played 14 matches across all three formats and has scored 443 runs at an average of 26.05, which is the worst return in a calendar year in his career. He is also going through his longest period without a century, which is over two years now.