Ashwin issues a "class" reminder over Virat Kohli's form

Virat Kohli could easily be tagged as the player with the most fan-following among cricketers. Yet, when he experienced a rough patch, the senior Indian player faced intense scrutiny from both fans and the cricketing fraternity. His slump in batting form, which became more evident during the Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, marked a challenging phase for the former Indian skipper. As India struggled through a difficult Test season, Kohli, along with Rohit Sharma, became prime targets for frustrated fans. Furthermore, after Kohli failed to make an impact in India's opening clash against Bangladesh at the ICC Champions Trophy, concerns grew that his poor form had extended into ODIs as well.

Ravi Ashwin marks ICC Champions Trophy ton by Virat Kohli as a sign of his resurgence

Virat Kohli, at times, could struggle against an outside-off-stump delivery as well as spinners, as noted recently. However, it's rare, very rare, for Virat Kohli to struggle against Pakistan in any ICC tournament. The tale of Kohli's brilliance against Pakistan repeated itself at the ICC Champions Trophy. The India vs Pakistan group-stage match bore witness to Virat Kohli claiming his 82nd international ton as he led India to victory over the defending champions in the chase. The questions and doubts over his form now stand dashed as Kohli, for the nth time, reaffirmed his ability, this time at the all-important marquee event.

Now, former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has heaped praise on Virat Kohli for his stellar century against Pakistan. Displaying his trademark composure, Virat Kohli avoided risky strokes and remained unbeaten on 100, a knock punctuated with seven boundaries. Meanwhile, Ashwin, who recently announced his retirement from international cricket, hit back at those who had questioned Kohli’s form. Ashwin highlighted the scrutiny that Kohli faced, particularly for his struggles in the Border Gavaskar Trophy, where he was dismissed edging deliveries to the slips.

With exceptional insights into the sport, Ashwin noted that the critics didn't care that the grass in Australia troubled Kohli. Moreover, with red-ball being different to the other formats, several factors affected Kohli's performance down under. The spin wizard, in turn, emphasized that ODI cricket remains Kohli’s strongest format and suggested that this innings could mark the beginning of a resurgence for the modern-day legend after a challenging phase last year.

“I never had any doubt about Virat’s quality. When we were playing in Australia, people were criticizing that he was nicking the ball in the slips. People should understand that there was grass on the wicket and it was red ball cricket and he was nicking in Test match cricket," Ashwin said.

"Virat’s class has not gone anywhere. I always said Virat Kohli’s engine room is ODI cricket. I am glad he is playing ODI cricket and this well could be his second coming. His confidence will only increase,” he added.

Although Kohli managed only 22 runs in the India vs Bangladesh clash, the opening ICC Champions Trophy fixture for the team, he looked in complete control against Pakistan. Headlining the chase with his ton, Kohli secured India's place in the ICC Champions Trophy semi-finals. The former India captain also reached another historic milestone, becoming the fastest batter to amass 14,000 ODI runs. Ashwin acknowledged this incredible feat and was left in awe while lauding Kohli’s brilliance at the crease.

“We were saying prior to the match that it could be Virat Kohli’s game and I had a good gut feeling. What an absolute stellar knock by Virat Kohli. 51st ODI hundred and 14,000 runs in ODI cricket, 60-70 matches less than the previous best batsman. What more can I say? He is an amazing player,” said Ashwin.