‘When was last time Virat Kohli played domestic cricket?’

After the five-Test Border Gavaskar Trophy ended with the hosts beating India 1-3, there have been plenty of questions asked off the Indian camp.
The Indian cricket team’s star players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have also come under the scanner.
Kohli, in particular, has been singled out for the manner in which he has managed to get dismissed in most of his innings: edging balls outside off stump.
Virat Kohli ended the five-match series against Australia with 190 runs from nine innings. He scored those runs at an average of 23.75 and at a strike rate of 47.98.
After the series ended, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan, in particular, had some sharp words about Virat Kohli.
“Many players had the opportunity to play domestic cricket, but they did not play. Why is that happening? Because the culture has changed. We have to change the culture. We have to improve things for Indian cricket as a team. Tell me, when was the last time Virat Kohli played domestic cricket? When did it happen? Even the great Sachin Tendulkar played Ranji Trophy even when it wasn’t required of him, only because he wanted to spend that much time—four or five days—on the pitch,” Irfan Pathan said on Star Sports.
“For the Indian team in 2024, in the first innings where you basically set up the match, Virat Kohli’s average is 15. And if you consider his average over the last five years, it’s not even 30. Does the Indian team deserve its senior player? Instead, give a youngster a chance. Tell him to get ready. He will also give an average of 25–30. This is about the team, not the individuals. When we talk about Virat Kohli, he has done a lot for India. He has delivered many performances. But you are getting out from the same make again and again. You are not creating a gap between two makes. You are not trying to fix the technical make. Sunny Sir is in the field. How long does it take to talk to Sunny Sir or someone?”

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