India would have lost to Pakistan in T20 WC if not for him: Saba Karim on Virat Kohli's T20I  exclusion 

Virat Kohli during the recently concluded Bangladesh tour

Since the trophy-less ICC T20 World Cup 2022, talks about changes and transitions in the Indian team have been gaining momentum. With the Board of Control for Cricket in India  announcing a young squad under Hardik Pandya's leadership for the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, the template looks seemingly ready for the future.

Former India skipper Virat Kohli, despite being in rich form in the T20Is, could not find and place in the squad, leading to a buzz in the media about his place in the side. While Kohli will return for the ODI-leg, his exclusion from the 20-overs format has surprised former India wicketkeeper, Saba Karim.

According to Karim, India would have lost to arch-rivals Pakistan in the T20 WC 2022 encounter if not for Kohli, who single-handedly won the match for India. 'King Kohli', as he is fondly called, ended the marquee tournament as the leading run-getter amassing 296 runs at an astounding average of 98.67.

Here's what Karim said

“Virat Kohli’s exclusion came as a big surprise. He was given a particular role in T20Is, and he was exceptional in that. We would have lost to Pakistan if he hadn’t been there at the T20 World Cup.

He is one such player who has given the team great stability in the format. Apart from Kohli, all the other absentees have missed out due to their underwhelming performances,"

The former selector further added that players like Kohli and Rishabh Pant could make a T20I comeback in the future.

The three-T20I series between India and Sri Lanka commences on January 3.

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