‘We have no right or authority to question Virat Kohli’s place in Team India’ - Robin Uthappa

Once deemed untouchable in Indian cricket, former skipper Virat Kohli now finds himself as the centerpiece of debate across the globe.

Ex-players, experts, and fans have varied opinions on his selection in the Indian setup, seeing how the batting maestro has struggled in the last few years.

However, former Indian player Robin Uthappa has hit out at critics who have questioned Kohli’s place in the team and raised eyebrows over his decision to rest in selected games. 

Uthappa feels that critics who had no influence over the Delhi-born batter's success when he was churning out international hundreds, should not be the ones to judge him now.

"When he (Virat Kohli) was scoring runs, when he was hitting hundred after hundred, nobody said he should play like this or that. Now, I don't think we have any right to tell him how to play. He has scored 70 hundreds thanks to his own abilities and he will score another 30 or 35 also on his own abilities," Uthappa spoke on ShareChat’s Audio Chat Room session.

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Uthappa, who was part of India’s T20 World Cup winning side in 2007, remains confident that Kohli will find his form given time.

"We need to just leave him alone and let him play cricket. He knows what works best for him and I believe once he acknowledges his problem, he will be able to sort it out on his own. All we need to do is give him space to be himself," the former RCB player added.

Best in the world: Uthappa

With younger cricketers doing well, maintaining a place in the playing XI is getting tougher with every series. However, the 36-year-old concluded that no one has the right to question Kohli, who has proven himself over 14 years.

"If he feels it is fit for him to take a break, then he can take a break. If he feels he has to play a certain series or tournament, allow him to play. Don't bring his spot into question. He is a match-winner, one of the proven match-winners and he is the best in the world,”

“We have no right and authority or no ground to stand on and question his ability to win matches or question his position in our team," Uthappa concluded.

Kohli was rested for India’s ongoing tour of the West Indies, and will most likely be next seen in the Asia Cup 2022.

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