New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s prolonged form slump doesn’t concern Sourav Ganguly much as he believes a big score is just around the corner, just as much as he eagerly waits the return of pacer Mohammed Shami in the Indian team.
Kohli managed only 190 runs in nine innings in India’s 1-3 Border-Gavaskar series loss in Australia, leading to calls for him being dropped from the Test team.
But Ganguly, under whose BCCI presidency Kohli was removed from Test captaincy, had kind words for the superstar batter.
“Virat Kohli is a once-in-a-lifetime cricketer. To score 81 international centuries in a career is something unbelievable. For me, he’s probably the greatest white-ball player the world has seen,” Ganguly said at a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) felicitation programme.
“I was really surprised the way he batted after getting a 100 in Perth. He struggled before that but I thought after the 100 in Perth, it’ll be a big series for him.”
Kohli as repeatedly dismissed while trying to negotiate the moving ball outside the off-stump, edging it to the slip. By the second innings of the series-concluding Sydney Test, the similarity of dismissal left even Kohli dejected.
“But I think it happens. Every player has his weakness and strength. You know, there’s no player in the world, who will not have that. It’s how you adapt to your weaknesses as you play great bowlers over a period of time,” former India skipper Ganguly said.
Since he is a top batter, Ganguly backed him to return to his usual scoring ways in the forthcoming three-match ODI series against England and the subsequent Champions Trophy.
“He will score runs in this tournament in Indian conditions, and I still feel there’s a lot of cricket left in Virat Kohli, the tour of England will be a big challenge for him,” Ganguly said.
“I’m not too worried about his form in the Champions Trophy, because as I said, he’s probably the best white-ball player the world has seen for a long period of time.”
Shami-Bumrah a deadly pair
Premier pacer Shami has been included in the team for the England series after a long njury lay-off and Ganguly said he can’t wait to see the right-arm pacer in action.
“I’m happy to see Shami fit because I think he’s probably the best bowler after (Jasprit) Bumrah in the country. He’ll be a bit nervous because he’s playing cricket after a long time, especially with a knee injury, but the good thing is that he bowled a lot for Bengal in the domestic cricket, which is going to help him in the games to come,” he said.
“He’s as good as anybody in the world. Shami and Bumrah bowling at two ends is different than Bumrah bowling from one end. Both players are vital to each other’s success in Test cricket.”
India host England in a T20I series that begins in Kolkata on Wednesday.
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