'Need to keep looking at future': Wasim Jaffer on Virat Kohli’s position in India's T20I side

With the T20 World Cup slated to be held in Australia later this year, the Indian selectors have plenty of options to choose from as far as their batting is concerned. Over the last few months, younger batters in Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer have made their presence felt in the middle order and with Suryakumar Yadav already being a certainty, Virat Kohli’s spot in India’s playing XI has come under the scanner. As far as current numbers are concerned, they do not scream out in favour of Kohli. In the IPL, he struggled to get going and scored his runs at a strike rate of 115. He has not played a single T20 since, but his past exploits could well give him an extended run in this format. He will be part of the Indian team for the second and third T20I matches against England and his progress will be closely monitored.

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“Kohli plays, there’s no doubt about it but his form will be taken into consideration. His IPL strike rate hasn’t been great. He’s not been in the best of forms. Deepak Hooda can give you an option with bowling so that will be taken into consideration but not straightaway,” Wasim Jaffer told ESPNCricinfo. “In the last T20 World Cup, the strike rate, that approach, was questioned and I think we need to keep looking at the future,” he went on to add. When Kohli was not in the side, India went in with Shreyas Iyer, Deepak Hooda, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav in the middle order. Hooda has been superb and he slammed a ton in Ireland while Pandya and Suryakumar walk into any playing XI. Former England spinner and former ECB director Ashley Giles, however, thinks Kohli is permanent class and that should be the reason why it is difficult to leave Kohli out.