India great’s blunt reaction to Kapil Dev’s ‘Virat Kohli can be dropped’ remark, backs Ricky Ponting’s viral statement

Many veterans, including former India captain Kapil Dev, have questioned Kohli’s status in the Indian side as a result of his persistent batting issues and inability to overcome his century drought. But following Australia legend Ricky Ponting, former India cricketer backed the ex-India skipper

Whether Virat Kohli plays in the series or not, his name will continue to be brought up in conversation. While Kohli has since returned from the West Indies tour and is currently rested, several veterans, including former India captain Kapil Dev, have begun to doubt Kohli’s position on the Indian side due to his continued struggles with the bat and failure to break his century drought. However, former India cricketer Ajit Agarkar supported the former captain with a direct response to Kapil Dev’s remark, following Australia star Ricky Ponting.
In an interview with ABP News earlier this month, Kapil Dev caused controversy by asserting that “If world No. 2 Test bowler Ashwin can be dropped from Test team, then your No. 1 hitter (Kohli) can also be dropped.”

Few people agreed with the renowned all-rounder, but Agarkar felt that the debate is too “premature” while speaking with Fan Code on Friday during the innings break of the first ODI between India and West Indies at Port of Spain.
“Experiencing a lean period is a fact of life. Every great athlete has experienced it. You will have the 50-over World Cup the following year. He will be given some time regardless of when he exits the situation. But you also don’t want him to go too long without exercising. Everyone is concerned because he hasn’t appeared at his best, but he has made progress. I think there are a lot of talks that Kohli should be replaced. I feel it’s too premature,” he said.

In fact, Agarkar agreed with Ponting’s previous statement on The ICC Review, with which the former Australia captain claimed that if India decides to drop Kohli, any opposition attack would exhale in relief. The seasoned Indian pacer believes that, regardless of how well the peripheral players are playing, Kohli’s presence is required at a World Cup because of his expertise.
In response to a question concerning Ponting’s remark, “Yes, without a doubt. Because of this, I believe the debate over whether he should be dropped is premature. There were two months of IPL where other players excelled, but when the World Cup rolls around, you want Kohli to be in form and batting there if India is two down early while chasing a total. He is skilled at batting under pressure. Yes, there are other players who are excelling, but that does not necessitate questioning Kohli’s abilities. You need top athletes with those experiences for the World Cup. Before that, hopefully, he gets some runs to build up his confidence,” he said.