Don’t bring Virat Kohli’s spot into question, says Robin Uthappa – Firstcricket News, Firstpost

Robin Uthappa came out in support of under-fire batting superstar Virat Kohli on Tuesday, saying that no one had the right to question his place in the Indian team after everything he had done for the nation for more than a decade.

India batter Uthappa, currently an integral member of the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) batting lineup in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said that nobody questioned Kohli back when he was scoring centuries for fun, and was confident the former India captain will score another “30 or 35” tons once he regains his old form.

“When he was scoring runs, when he was hitting hundred after hundred, nobody said he should play like this or that. Now, I don’t think we have any right to tell him how to play. He has scored 70 hundreds thanks to his own abilities and he will score another 30 or 35 also on his own abilities.

“If he feels it is fit for him to take a break, then he can take a break. If he feels he has to play a certain series or tournament, allow him to play. Don’t bring his spot into question. He is a match-winner, one of the proven match-winners and he is the best in the world. We have no right and authority or no ground to stand on and question his ability to win matches or question his position in our team,” Uthappa was quoted as saying by India Today.

Kohli has been under immense pressure of late as the batting superstar hasn’t scored a century across formats for nearly three years now. Kohli, who had stepped down as the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain last year, also endured one of his worst IPL seasons in this year’s edition.

While the likes of former India coach Ravi Shastri have called for Kohli to be given an extended break, others such as 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev have outright questioned his place in the team given his extended lean patch.

However, an equal number of cricketers have also stepped forth in Kohli’s support, with former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting saying he would “fear” an Indian team that had Kohli in it, and added it was “only a matter of time” before he bounced back to form.

Kohli is currently on a break with his family, having been rested for the ongoing tour of the West Indies.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.