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Irfan Pathan, the former Indian cricketer, minced no words while talking about Virat Kohli after India suffered a 1-3 defeat in the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test series in Sydney earlier today. The 40-year-old called for an end to the “superstar culture” in the Indian cricket team, alluding to how Virat Kohli hasn’t played domestic cricket in more than a decade, while pointing out that even a young player could give numbers similar to what he has delivered in Tests in the last few years.
Notably, in the recently concluded BGT Test series, Virat Kohli scored just 190 runs in nine innings, which included a hundred at the Optus Stadium in Perth, helping the Indian cricket team take an early 1-0 lead in the series before they fell apart. The critics have been quite hard on Virat Kohli in regard to how he faltered outside the off stump on all nine occasions against Australia over the last couple of months, getting nicked off in the cordon time after time.
We need to end superstar culture, we need team culture: Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan, in a Star Sports exclusive, spoke about how the Indian cricket team needs to move forward quickly, but it can only happen with “team culture” rather than prevailing “superstar culture.” He was quoted as saying, as per the Times of India, “We need to end superstar culture, we need team culture. You need to improve yourself and improve the Indian team. There were matches before this series, too, and they had an opportunity to play domestic cricket, but they didn't. We need to change that culture.”
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Irfan Pathan alluded to how Sachin Tendulkar was a regular feature in the domestic cricket throughout his career, while Virat Kohli is yet to play a match for Delhi since 2012. He remarked, “When was the last time Virat Kohli played domestic cricket? It has been more than a decade. Even Sachin Tendulkar has played domestic cricket more recently, and he has retired.”
Moreover, the former Indian cricketer also discussed the poor stats of Virat Kohli at the Test level over the last five years, stating that even a youngster could give the team those numbers with some backing. “In the first innings of Tests in 2024, where the match is set by a batter, Virat Kohli averages 15. Kohli's average in the last 5 years is not even 30. Does the Indian team deserve this for their senior player? Instead of this, give a youngster consistent rope, even he will give an average of 25-30. This is about the team, not an individual,” he added.
