
Former Pakistan national cricket team player Basit Ali has jumped to the defense of Indian national cricket team superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli amidst heavy criticism.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been criticized left, right and center by fans and pundits after India’s Test series disaster against New Zealand, but Basit Ali has not joined the trend; instead, he has supported senior cricketers. .
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma failed miserably in home Test season
Rohit and Kohli skipped the Duleep Trophy ahead of the Test series against Bangladesh, despite knowing that the competition would have given them ideal preparation for the red-ball season.
The duo’s lack of preparation was seen in the matches against the Tigers, as they failed to get going. In two Tests, Rohit Sharma scored only 42 runs at an average of 10.50, while Virat Kohli scored 99 runs at an average of 33.00.
As the action progressed towards the Test series against New Zealand, many expected things to change but that was not to be as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli continued to struggle. In six innings against the Kiwis, Rohit scored 91 runs at an average of 15.16 and a best of 52, while Kohli scored 93 runs at an average of 15.50 and a best of 70.
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Cancer cannot be treated with Disprin, you need chemotherapy for that – Basit Ali
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit went out of his way to defend Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. He slammed the critics and said they should not turn Rohit and Kohli into hero zeroes after a loss in the Test series. He elaborated:
“Just two-three months ago there was a felicitation ceremony at this very ground in Mumbai. Why didn’t you say at that time that they should now withdraw from all three formats? Cancer cannot be treated with Disprin, chemotherapy is needed for that You make them zero in one day, but you forget the performances you have given in the past. you were winning. Ask me, our team had been losing to the United States, Ireland, Afghanistan and Bangladesh.”
Please use a little of your mind – Basit Ali
Basit Ali further highlighted the past heroics of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli and said that fans should use their brain and not go crazy with their criticism of the duo. He stated:
“You lost 3-0, that’s why you are angry. Please use some of your mind. This is the same Rohit Sharma who scored runs against England in the 2023 ODI World Cup and Test series. This is the same Virat Kohli who scored 186 in Ahmedabad.. Now, when he doesn’t get runs, you guys are talking. He’s seen a moment like this before too.”
Speaking particularly about Virat Kohli’s inability to shoot in the home Test season, Basit Ali said that unlike Babar Azam, the Indian superstar had to play on the spinners, which made things difficult for them. He stated:
“Babar Azam bowled well, Virat Kohli didn’t. He had to play on turning courts.. Who is instructing to make such throws?”