'If world No. 2 bowler Ashwin can be dropped from Test side then world No. 1 batter can also be dropped'- Kapil Dev

Former Indian all-rounder Kapil Dev has said that legendary batter, Virat Kohli is no longer indispensable in the T20I format, adding that if Ravichandran Ashwin can be dropped from the Test team, then a similar treatment should be meted out to the former skipper as well.

Kohli endured a poor IPL season earlier this year as he managed just two 50+ scores in 16 attempts. However, the 33-year-old has been a prolific scorer for the Men in Blue in the shortest format despite the ongoing lean patch.

Since the start of 2020, Kohli has scored 663 T20I runs in 19 innings @ 47.35/136.13 with six 50-plus scores. But, with him not playing in India’s last 8 T20Is and his struggles of the IPL fresh in people’s minds coupled with the likes of Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav grabbing their opportunities, questions around his place in the side have intensified.

Speaking on ABP News, Dev said that Kohli can’t rest on past laurels and that he needs to perform in order to warrant a place in the side at the expense of youngsters.

“Yes, now the situation is such that you might be forced to bench Kohli from T20 playing eleven. If world No. 2 bowler Ashwin can be dropped from the Test side then world No. 1 batter can also be dropped. Virat is not batting at a level which we have seen him do over the years. He has made a name because of his performances but if he isn’t performing, then you can’t keep the performing youngsters out of the team,” said Dev.

Kohli will be playing in the next two T20Is against England. However, there are reports that he may be ‘rested’ for the West Indies series.

Dev, however, believes that if Kohli is indeed ‘rested’ then it should be treated as ‘dropped’.

“You can call it rest and someone else will call it dropped. Every person will have his own view. Obviously, if selectors don’t pick him (Kohli), then it could be because a big player isn’t performing,” he observed.

Kapil Dev’s harsh take on Virat Kohli

He signed off by stating that the selectors and the team-management should always pick players based on their current form and not past reputation.

“Play in-form players when you have loads of options. You can’t just go by reputation but you have to look for current form. You can be an established player but that doesn’t mean that you will be given chances even if you fail five games in a row,” he said.

Kohli was the ‘Player of the Series’ during his last meeting with England in a T20I rubber. In-fact, he has the most runs for India- 577 @ 44.38/136.72- against England in this format. The legendary cricketer will look to give a fitting response to his critics when he takes guard at Edgbaston on Saturday.