Ricky Ponting says Virat Kohli regaining form only a matter of time

From being one of the most consistent performers in world cricket, Virat Kohli’s slump in form has invited many critics. However, the Indian ace was lent a hand of support by former Australian captain and legend Ricky Ponting, who has said that it is only ‘a matter of time’ before the 33-year-old regains form.

“I think if I was an opposition captain or an opposition player, I will be fearing playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli in it, more than I would be one that doesn’t have him in it,” Ponting said on The ICC Review Show. 

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“The best (players) find a way to rebound and respond, and it’s only a matter of time before Virat does that,” he added.

Kohli’s poor run of form has irked many fans as well as pundits, who have voiced their opinion to cut him loose from the national team. He has stepped down as the Indian captain, however, that has not helped him in regaining his form. Following his poor form in the recently concluded England tour, speculations have been rife regarding leaving him out of the T20 World Cup squad.

India great Kapil Dev has suggested that if India can leave Ravichandran Ashwin, the no. 2 ranked Test bowler, out of the playing XI, Kohli should be treated the same way. However, Ponting disagrees with the notion, as he feels if Kohli is kept outside the starting XI, his chances of making a comeback will be hit hard.

“If you leave Virat out of the eve of the World Cup, and someone comes in and has a reasonable tournament, it will be hard for Virat to get back in it,” Ponting opined. 

“If I was a captain or a coach, I will be making life as easy as possible for him to feel as comfortable as possible, and just wait for him to flick the switch and start scoring runs again,” he quipped.

The former ICC World Cup champion also believes that Kohli’s best position is in his usual no. 3 spot and he should be starting from there only.

“He has opened the batting, he has batted at No.3 in the IPL in the last couple of years and done the same for India. Moving him around will make him feel that people are worried about him, and he will be more unsettled,” the 47-year-old remarked.

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Ponting also said that if he was the coach or the captain, he would be open to Kohli regarding his spot and will be supporting him to believe in himself. He also added that he will assuring Virat to be confident of his abilities and return to the thoughts he had when he was in form.

“If I was the coach of captain, I would be telling him, ‘This is your spot, this is where you’re batting, it’s not going to change,” he said. 

“Keep believing in yourself, keep putting in the hard work, keep believing what made you the best player in the world for a number of years – get back to those thoughts and the runs will come,” Ponting concluded.