Virat Kohli should be in India's T20 World Cup squad, he could be a game-changer: Syed Kirmani

Former India wicketkeeper-batter Syed Kirmani has said that Virat Kohli should definitely be in the India squad for the upcoming 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. Kirmani also opined that Kohli could be a game-changer in the tournament.

The right-handed batter has not been in good touch lately and managed to score just 12 runs against England in the T20I series. The 33-year-old was rested for the first T20I but could only score one run in the second fixture. Coming to the third match, Kohli tried to be proactive as he smashed back-to-back boundaries in starting phase of his innings but could not get going and was scalped for 11 runs.

It must be noted that Kohli has not been named in the India squad touring to West Indies to play white-ball matches. The prominent batter is said to be rested for the three ODIs and five T20Is and is expected to return for the 2022 Asia Cup.

Virat Kohli has loads of experience, he will be unstoppable once he returns to form: Kirmani

“Virat Kohli has loads of experience. He should be in the T20 World Cup squad. Once Kohli returns to form, he will be unstoppable. He could be a game-changer. A player with Kohli’s experience and abilities deserves to be in the World Cup squad,” Kirmani told Dainik Jagran.

“There is tough competition in the Indian team. Look, if someone else was going through the rough patch that Kohli is, he would have been dropped from the team by now. But I feel that an established player should be given the benefit of the doubt,” he explained.

Talking about Kohli’s numbers in T20I cricket, he has played 99 matches and has amassed 3308 runs at an average above 50. Kohli plays at a strike rate of 137 in the 20-over format and has also stroked 30 fifties, with 94 being his highest score for the Men in Blue.