• Rohit Sharma says Virat Kohli’s place in the team is secure despite the recent slump.
• Rohit: “We can’t ignore his impact even if he doesn’t score in a single game.”
• Kohli’s participation in the opening ODI is in doubt.

Virat Kohli’s status in the team, according to India captain Rohit Sharma, is assured despite a recent slump in performance.

Fans and former greats have questioned Kohli’s place after he was cheaply removed in the fifth Test against England and posted scores of 1 and 11.

However, his skipper is adamant that the right-handers-talent will finally come through.

Rohit addressed Kohli’s detractors in an interview with reporters prior to India’s ODI series against England.

“A cricketer’s form will always go up and down, but a player’s quality will never fade away,” he remarked.

We must always remember that certain players have qualities, and our squad supports those qualities.

“When someone scores consistently for such a long time, we can’t ignore his impact even if he doesn’t score in a single game, a single season, or a single year. We are aware of Virat Kohli’s significance. The specialists have every right to discuss it, but for us, these things are irrelevant,” he continued.

The remarks follow a number of complaints, chief among them coming from Kapil Dev, who claimed that Kohli’s position was only secure because of the 33-year-old’s reputation.

If (Ravichandran) Ashwin, the No. 2 Test bowler in the world, can be benched from the Test team, so can your No. 1 hitter, according to Kapil.

The illustrious all-rounder emphasized that India’s team will be stronger as they intensified their preparations for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia later in the year.

“You can’t keep barring these boys if he isn’t performing. The young players should try to outperform Kohli, and I hope there will be strong competition for selection. Thoughts like “Yes, at one point I was a big player, but I need to perform like that No. 1 player again” are necessary for Kohli. The squad has a problem there, but it’s not a big one “Finally, he said.

In the meantime, Kohli’s participation in the opening ODI is in doubt as he recovers from a groin injury sustained during the T20I series.

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