New Delhi: In the last few years, Indian cricket team talisman Virat Kohli has experienced a dip in form. The former India captain recently scored a century against the West Indies in the ongoing series in the Caribbean. But, tellingly, it was his first international century overseas since December 2018.
Former Sri Lanka bowler Chaminda Vaas has backed Kohli, saying that a slump in form cannot be the reason to suspect someone’s class.
“Most people want Kohli to perform all the time. If he fails in one or two games, people react differently, because Kohli has been scoring right from the beginning of his career. A player can go out of touch, but there is no doubt about his class. Even on the West Indies tour, he has performed. He wants to improve and contribute to Indian cricket. I’m sure he will do well,” Vaas told The Hindustan Times in an interview.
“Even in the latter part of Sachin Tendulkar’s career, people expected him to perform in every match. But that can’t happen all the time. Maybe that’s why Kohli is lacking right now. His fitness level and technique is really good, as far as I’m concerned,” he added.
The comparison between Kohli and India legend Tendulkar is not new. Vaas was also asked about the comparison.
“Records are there to be broken, you know, you can’t keep records all the time. Different eras, different players, but the way I see it, Kohli is still young and has a lot of time. Age is just a number, and the way he’s performing, I’m sure he will do well for Indian cricket. We have seen different generations in which India has produced excellent cricketers,” he said.
Kohli recently played his 500th international game and scored his 76th ton, one more than Tendulkar at the same mark. Kolhi also moved to 10th on the list of combined appearances in the three formats, which Tendulkar tops with 664.
Agencies

KR Desk