DUBAI: Australia legend Ricky Ponting has thrown his support behind former number one batsman Virat Kohli, who has been struggling recently, saying he would be afraid of an Indian team that included Virat.
Ponting, in the last episode of ICC Reviewhe backed former Indian captain Kohli by stating that the latter still has a significant impact and also that as an opposing captain he would fear a side that comprised Virat.
“I think if I were a captain or an opposition player, I would fear playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli more than I would one that doesn’t,” Ponting said.
“I know there have been some challenges for him, it has been a difficult time,” he added.
EXCLUSIVE: Ricky Ponting’s Strong Comments On What Should Happen Next With Virat Kohli.
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The former Australian captain then expanded his support for the struggling right-handed batsman by stating that every great has been through it at some point in their career.
“But every great player I’ve seen in this game has been through it at some point, whether it’s a batsman or a bowler, they’ve all been through it,” Ponting said.
And somehow, the best [players] find a way to recover and respond, and it’s only a matter of time before Virat does,” he said.
The World Cup-winning Australian captain also predicted that if India chooses to skip Virat for the upcoming T20 World Cup, there may be no turning back for him, while stating that if he were to be the authority, he would keep pushing him.
, knowing that the advantages of backup.
“If you shut Virat out on the eve of the World Cup, and someone comes in and has a reasonable tournament, it’s going to be hard for Virat to get back in,” Ponting said.
“If I were India, I would keep pushing with him, because I know the positive side. If they really get it back confident and [play] as well as it can, that edge is better than most. So I think if I were a captain or a coach around India [set-up]I’ll make your life as easy as possible to make you feel as comfortable as possible, and I’ll just wait for you to hit the switch and start scoring runs again.”
It is pertinent to mention here that Kohli had reached the milestone of 70 international centuries in 2019 and has batted over 100 innings since then without scoring a century. He scored his last century against Bangladesh.
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