Here’s why BCCI can’t drop Virat: Monty Panesar

Former India captain Virat Kohli is currently persevering through a conflicting run of form across formats in International cricket, with some event criticising the team management for holding him in the Team India squad regardless of rehashed disappointments. 

Kohli’s last international century came in November 2019, which would appear to be quite some time ago for the 33-year-old in the midst of his low scores with the bat, yet he has scored up to half-centuries on a couple of occasions. Kohli’s last international fifty in any format came against West Indies in a home T20I in February this year, and he even had a less than impressive IPL with the bat, scoring only 341 runs from 16 matches.

In spite of his form, any semblance of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s childhood mentor Rajkumar Sharma have come on the side of the Delhi cricketer.

Former England cricketer Monty Panesar, in the meantime, raised an alternate view to the turn of events. He demanded that the BCCI wouldn’t have the option to drop a player like Kohli since the board would lose ‘huge financial sponsorship’.

“It’s like Cristiano Ronaldo. Whenever Ronaldo plays for Manchester United, everyone’s watching the football. Virat Kohli is the same. He has got a huge following and attraction,”

Panesar was quoted as saying by the Times of India.

“Are BCCI under pressure too, regardless of whatever the result and role Virat Kohli has to play, to keep the sponsors happy? That's probably the biggest question,” says @MontyPanesar #ENGvIND https://t.co/4X9wGZ15yG

— Circle of Cricket (@circleofcricket) July 15, 2022

“Are the BCCI under pressure too, regardless of whatever the result and role Virat Kohli has to play, to keep the sponsors happy? That’s probably the biggest question. They can’t drop him or afford to drop him because they’ll probably lose huge financial sponsorship. The trouble here is that he is the most attractive cricketer on the planet. Fans love him a great deal. We as a whole simply love Virat and his force. Now and then, it’s fringe however he’s a lot of respected in England. Thus, according to the BCCI’s point of view, they must plunk down and choose,”

the 40-year-old stated.

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Panesar, nonetheless, addressed if a similar procedure could deal with events when India participates in major ICC competitions, similar to the World Cup.

“From a financial perspective, other boards gained so much from Virat Kohli. But is Virat really good for the India side right now? But then would it mean at the expense of them not winning a T20 World Cup or a 50-over World Cup? That’s the biggest question at the moment,”

added Panesar.

Kohli, who isn’t a part of the T20I side to face West Indies in the Caribbean later this month, would hope to end his forgettable scoring run when India take on England in the third and last ODI on Sunday. The series is currently level at 1-1.