Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag has questioned the Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s captaincy tactics for constantly changing the players in the playing XI of team India. Sehwag asserted why the selection yardsticks aren’t applied for Virat as well.
Well, during a discussion on the Sony Sports network, Sehwag made his observation regarding the constant chopping and changing of the playing squad.
For the unversed, Virat made some surprising picks for the opening T20I against Australia. While he picked some surprising names, on the other hand, he missed out on many key players including Yuzvendra Chahal. His selection left everyone surprised left everyone surprised, including former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag.
He lashed out at Kohli by highlighting that he would have never become such a great player had he not got the support of MS Dhoni, despite his failures on the tour of England in 2014. He said:
“Virat Kohli has to think that in the England tour when he had flopped, if he was not given opportunities after that, how would he have become such a big player. He himself says that MS Dhoni has backed him and that he would always remain his captain. Is there any player in this team who will say the same thing for Virat Kohli, it is difficult.”
He further questioned the reason behind Shreyas Iyer’s exclusion from the Indian squad during the 1st T20I against Australia. He asked if the player can go and ask the captain about it. He said:
“If you talk about Shreyas Iyer, if in the previous T20 series he had given a good performance, then on what basis did you not play him this encounter. Is there any reason? I don’t think even Shreyas Iyer has the guts to go and ask why he was not played.”
He added:
“If this decision has been taken with the team in mind then it is right else if it has been taken thinking that Shreyas Iyer does not play short-pitched bowling that well and so a chance has been given to someone else, then it will be a different thinking because he has scored runs in the last few T20I matches. So, he should be given chances.”
He concluded by expressing his disappointment over the fact that all the rules are applicable to everyone else other than Virat Kohli. He said:
“I will say one more thing, all the rules are applicable to everyone else other than Virat Kohli, no rule is applicable to him. Neither his batting order is changed nor is he left out or given a break when he is out of form. So, that is wrong.”
