Virender Sehwag slams Virat Kohli for constantly making changes in Playing XI

Veteran opening batsman Virender Sehwag slammed the Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli for constantly making changes in the playing XI and dropping the players just after a few bad games. He also reckoned that if players are dropped from the team owing to their bad performance in particular matches, then the same should be applied to Kohli too.

Sehwag asserted that a strong team is formed only when the players get backing from their captain. On a number of occasions, Virat had expressed his gratitude to the former Indian captain for backing him after a poor England tour in 2014. But Sehwag believes that no player from the current team will say the same thing about Kohli.

“Virat Kohli has to think that in the England tour when he had flopped if he was not given opportunities after that, how would he have become such a big player.”

“He himself says that MS Dhoni has backed him and that he would always remain his captain. Is there any player in this team who will say the same thing for Virat Kohli, it is difficult,” Virender Sehwag said during a discussion on Sony Sports network.

Rules are applicable to everyone else other than Virat Kohli: Virender Sehwag

Shreyas Iyer was excluded from the first T20I against Australia on Friday and many believe that the reason behind the same was his poor run in ODIs. Detailing his opinion on the same, the former opening batsman that Iyer deserved a place in the squad as he had performed well for India in T20Is. He also believes that even Shreyas won’t have the guts to question Virat for his non-selection in the T20I squad.

“If you talk about Shreyas Iyer, if in the previous T20 series he had given a good performance, then on what basis did you not play him in this encounter. Is there any reason? I don’t think even Shreyas Iyer has the guts to go and ask why he was not played.

“If this decision has been taken with the team in mind then it is right else if it has been taken thinking that Shreyas Iyer does not play short-pitched bowling that well and so a chance has been given to someone else, then it will be different thinking because he has scored runs in the last few T20I matches. So, he should be given chances,” Sehwag added.

The 42-year-old signed off saying that if the players are selected in the team using a certain parameter, then the same yardsticks should be applied to Indian skipper too. He pointed out that Virat Kohli has never been given a break or moved up and down the order due to lack of form.

“I will say one more thing, all the rules are applicable to everyone else other than Virat Kohli, no rule is applicable to him. Neither his batting order is changed nor is he left out or given a break when he is out of form. So, that is wrong,” Sehwag concluded.