Virat Kohli’s participation in the Duleep Trophy was a subject of debate. Some argued that his experience and stature made domestic cricket unnecessary, while his former teammate Subramaniam Badrinath suggests it could have been a valuable opportunity to regain match practice ahead of India’s demanding red-ball season.
Virat Kohli could’ve played Duleep Trophy, says Badrinath
This season’s Duleep Trophy grabbed headlines, courtesy of the involvement of major Indian stars. From the likes of Rishabh Pant to KL Rahul, most of the players selected in the India vs Bangladesh series played in the Duleep Trophy (10 out of 16 in fact). However, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah opted for an extended break.
That is where, Badrinath, in an exclusive chat with Insidesport, asserted that Kohli would’ve done with playing one Duleep Trophy game. “How much ever you practice in the nets, it might be one match or two matches equal to 100 in the net sessions is what I feel. So, I would have loved to see, as purely as a cricket expert, I am not advising or asking him to do anything. But, as a cricket expert, I thought that one match, if he had played the Duleep Trophy, would help him play against the spinners, just to get into the group, just to refresh your memory about what it is to play in India against the spinners,” said Badrinath in an exclusive chat with Insidesport.
Virat Kohli’s issues vs left-arm spin?
Badrinath emphasized on the left-arm spinners that Bangladesh will field in the forthcoming Test match. Kohli, meanwhile, has had his issues against left-arm orthodox tweakers in recent times. In fact, his batting average against left-arm spinners has dropped from 110.7 to 30.2 since 2020.
“I think Bangladesh, we all know, they are one of the best spin attacks. Every third person in every street is a left-arm spinner in Bangladesh. So, they will come with left-arm spinners into the India series. So, that’s where I thought that probably it would have been good for Virat Kohli to play one of the Duleep Trophy matches,” added Badrinath while speaking to Insidesport.
Virat Kohli’s record vs left-arm orthodox spin in Tests
| Period | Innings | Runs | Balls | Outs | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Until 2019 | 53 | 775 | 1414 | 7 | 110.7 |
| Since 2020 | 25 | 272 | 686 | 9 | 30.2 |
Considering these records, Kohli might have a tough time facing the likes of Shakib Al Hasan and Taijul Islam in the upcoming Test series, starting from September 19.
