Can Virat Kohli hold his ground? All eyes on his spot for England tests | READ

Sport News: Till date, it seems that the recent failure by Virat Kohli in Border-Gavaskar Trophy questions his future prospects at the batting giant in Test cricket. Being the only pillar of Indian batting since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Kohli's recent performances made everyone question whether he could finally come out of his mental block and have another breath of fresh air in his career.

Kohli's Struggle

For the second successive Test, Kohli was sent back to the pavilion. This time it was off a second-day delivery: back-of-length by Scott Boland outside off, which, given his painful rhythm of dismissal these days, felt like the end. True; for it has been more agonising to see him edged to slip, cordon or keeper eight times out of nine Test innings, as his batting threw in an element of disturbing consistency; in how he goes about getting out. It is more of a mental, rather than a technical fight that this hero.

The Stats Spoke

Kohli’s numbers in this series are troubling. Apart from his century in the second innings at Perth and a 36-run knock at Melbourne, his total runs across the other seven innings amount to just 54. For a player of Kohli’s stature, this is uncharted territory, and his career seems to be hanging by a thread, making the prospect of him retaining his spot in the national team uncertain.

IPL and Red-Ball Cricket: What the Selectors Are Left with

Kohli’s dilemma lies in finding a balance between his IPL commitments and preparations for Test cricket. With India’s upcoming ODI series against England, the Champions Trophy, and the IPL starting in March, the window for domestic red-ball cricket is shrinking. A county stint in England could be his only option, but that would require him to skip IPL duties—something unlikely given his brand value and leadership role with Royal Challengers Bangalore.

A Glimmer of Hope

Kohli might get a chance to play a few shadow games since the India A is touring England just before the senior team. However, this would require discussions with selectors, and the clock is ticking as the first Test in Leeds begins on June 18. As of now, Kohli’s last Test appearance was at SCG, but with someone of his stature, there is always the possibility of a comeback.s.