Why BCCI isn’t dropping Virat Kohli? Monty Panesar feels THIS is the BIG reason
Former India captain Virat Kohli, who was the highest run scorer for Team India in last 2014 and 2016 T20 World Cup, could lose his place in the national T20 side for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 which is scheduled to be played in Australia. Virat is going through a rough patch in international cricket as his last century came way back in 2019. Virat had a poor season with RCB as well after leaving the captain to focus on his batting. In the year 2022, Virat has played four T20Is in which he has scored 81 runs at a strike rate of 128 and an average of 20.25. With all these stats saying, Virat is out of form BCCI is not ready to drop Virat from the T20 squad.
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar feels that cricket is not the reason behind not dropping Virat but that has something to do with the financial aspect of the game. England spinner feels that Virat is one of the most marketable cricketers in the world and leaving India talisman out of the national side will cause huge financial damage to the board.
In an interview with TOI Monty said, “The difficulty here is that he is the most marketable cricketer in the world. He is probably the one who entered that space after Sachin Tendulkar. So, from a financial perspective, of course, everybody just wants to watch your Virat Kohli bat or see him on the field. Fans love him a lot. We all just love Virat and his intensity. Sometimes, it’s borderline but he’s very much admired in England. So, from the BCCI’s perspective, they’ve got to sit down and decide.”
“When Virat Kohli plays, stadiums are full of sponsors. From a financial perspective, other boards gained so much from Virat Kohli. But is Virat really good for the India side right now? That’s the biggest question that the BCCI needs to sit down with the selectors and work out – that when it comes to the big tournaments, like T20 World Cup or (ODI) World Cup, from a sponsorship perspective, they probably make more money. But then would it mean at the expense of them not winning a T20 World Cup or a 50-over World Cup? That’s the biggest question at the moment. This is going to be very difficult for the likes of coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma,” Monty added.
