After India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3 in Australia, former cricketer Irfan Pathan had slammed Virat Kohli for his poor returns in Test cricket. With just 190 runs from five matches (9 innings) at an average of 23.75 and one hundred to his credit, Kohli had continued his dismal play in the five-match Test series against Australia.
Pathan had harshly criticized the great Indian batsman after his disappointing performance, pointing out his low first-inning average and had asserted that even a young player can average between 25 and 30 with frequent opportunities.
“In 2024, in the first innings where the game is set up, Virat Kohli averages just 15. If we take out his numbers in the last five years, he doesn’t even average 30. Is this what the Indian team deserves from his senior player? Instead of him, you give regular chances to a youngster, give him time to get prepared, even he can average 25-30. Because we are discussing about the team here not the individuals,” said Pathan on Star Sports.
“India don’t need superstar culture, they need team culture. Tell me the last time when Virat Kohli played domestic cricket when he was free? When was the last time it happened? It has almost been a decade. Since then even the legendary Sachin Tendulkar played it and has retired altogether. He didn’t have to play, but even he came to play,” he added.
After these comments against Kohli, Pathan was removed from the IPL commentary panel.
On Sunday, in the IPL match between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians, Karun Nair's scorching 89 off 40 balls lit up the night.
Nair faced MI pace spearhead Japrit Bumrah with complete assurance and struck him for 29 runs in two overs, which is the highest total by an Indian batsman against Bumrah in IPL history.
Nair set the stadium alight with his 22-ball fifty. Mitchell Santner, however, removed the set batter just as Nair appeared to be on course for a century.
Known for being India's triple-centurion in Test cricket, Nair made an impact in his maiden league game after a three-year absence. Since 2017, this was his first IPL half-century.
After the match, Pathan took to X praising Nair while upholding the importance of playing domestic cricket.
Pathan posted, “Karun Nair is showing all of us why playing domestic cricket & current form is so so important”
The Delhi Capitals fell apart after Nair’s dismissal and were bowled out for 193 in 19 overs, despite being comfortably positioned at 119/1 at the halfway mark. This was partly due to a hat-trick of run-outs in a tumultuous penultimate over as the Mumbai Indians put their IPL 2025 campaign back on track with a spectacular 12-run victory.
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