Former Indian national cricket team captain and Chairman of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Sourav Ganguly has issued a strong verdict on the future of modern-day great Virat Kohli.
Virat Kohli has been struggling with his form, especially in Test cricket, and performed poorly in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under.
Right-handed batsman Sourav Ganguly's struggle has surprised him, who was expected to set the stage on fire in the Test series against the Pat Cummins-led side.
Virat Kohli smashed a ton in BGT 2024-25
Kohli started the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy on a positive note as he slammed a brilliant century in the second innings of the Test series opener at the Perth Stadium.
However, things have completely changed since then as the batsman began to struggle while facing the Australians, and his outside weakness was completely exposed.
He has been dismissed on eight occasions while chasing deliveries outside the stump, which has raised serious questions about his modern-day technique.
Overall, Kohli scored 190 runs in the 2024-25 BGT at an average of 23.75 as India lost the trophy for the first time in a decade.
For me, he is probably the greatest white-ball player the world has ever seen – Sourav Ganguly
Meanwhile, Ganguly described Kohli as the greatest white-ball player of all time, but expressed surprise at his failures in the Test series against Australia.
“I think Virat Kohli is a once-in-a-lifetime men's cricketer. To score 80 international runs in his career is unbelievable. For me, he is probably the greatest white-ball player the world has ever seen,” Sourav Ganguly said during a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) event. ).
“But I was really surprised by the way he batted after his 100 in Perth. He had struggled before that year, but I thought after the 100 in Perth, it would be a big series for him. But I think it happens. Every player has his strength and weakness.” “There is no bowler in the world who wouldn't get that,” he added. “It's how you adapt to your weaknesses as you play great bowlers over a period of time.”
I still feel there is a lot of cricket left in Virat Kohli-Sourav Ganguly
However, the former India captain was of the opinion that the end is not near for Virat Kohli at the moment and he still has a lot of cricket left to play.
Sourav Ganguly said Virat Kohli's biggest challenge will be the Test tour to England in 2025 and he was not worried about the form of the batter heading into the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
“I still feel there is a lot of cricket left for Virat Kohli. The tour in England will be a big challenge for him. I am not too worried about his form in the Champions Trophy,” Ganguly said.
“As I said, he is probably the best white-ball player the world has seen for a long period of time. He will score in the tournament in those conditions. I think India are one of the contenders for the Champions Trophy.” He added.
