Virat Kohli's struggles in international cricket have continued for nearly three years. However, Robin Uthappa has backed him as a proven match-winner.
Former Indian skipper and top-order batter Virat Kohli has not had the best time in international cricket for nearly three years now. He has not hammered a global century since the latter part of 2019, while his performance in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has also been highly irregular. While calls for him to be dropped have been doing rounds for some time, the selectors have been dual-minded. Also, some call to keep giving chances to Kohli, given his talent. At the same time, former Indian wicketkeeper-opener Robin Uthappa has called for Kohli to remain on the circuit, given that he is a proven match-winner.
Uthappa feels that Kohli deserves a long break from the sport, given that his slump has continued for far too long. "We have neither the authority nor any ground to question his position or his capacity to win games. He's a match winner and a proven one of the best in the world," Uthappa said on CricChat.
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Besides, Uthappa also felt that One-Day International (ODI) cricket is not an ideal format anymore, as it is not sustainable today, given the crunch international schedule that led to English all-rounder Ben Stokes' retirement from the format. "While T20 and Test cricket may continue, ODI may not," he said, as the format has been a topic of debate since the last week.
Uthappa was also asked about his assessment regarding pacer Jasprit Bumrah leading Team India in the fifth Test against England last month, which he lost. "According to me, Bumrah would be a great captain for Test cricket. For ODI, the choices would be KL Rahul or Rishabh Pant," he concluded.