‘Tendulkar’s Ranji game more recent than his’ – Irfan Pathan weighs in on Virat Kohli’s slump

I’Tendulkar’s Ranji game more recent than his’ – Irfan Pathan on Virat Kohli’s slump (Source – Getty Images)

Virat Kohli and other Indian batters have had a forgettable Australia tour as they struggle throughout the series. Kohli scored a century in the second innings of the series openier in Perth but failed to cross the 50-run mark in the remainder of the series. Moreover, his struggle to deal with the deliveries outside the off stump was evident thoughout as eight of his nine dismissals in the series were while trying to play the same.

Speaking of his outing in Australia, in nine innings, the 36-year-old scored 190 runs at an unimpressive average of 23.75. Former India al-rounder Irfan Pathan credited the poor outing of India batters and Kohli to lack of playing domestic cricket. Pathan also questioned whether the spot of senior players in the Indian team after their lackluster performance.

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“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,” said Pathan speaking on Star Sports.

Kohli’s perfomance in the red-ball format has dipped over the years. The right-handed batter has managed to score only three centuries since 2019. His slump in Tests could be gauged by the fact that his Test average has gone from 54.97 in 2019 to 46.85 in 2025. While highlighting this issue, Pathan also came hard at the veteran for committing similar mistakes time and again.

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“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,” he continued.

“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 mistake again and again. You are not creating a gap between two mistakes. You are not trying to fix the technical mistake. Sunny Sir [Sunil Gavaskar] is in the field. How long does it take to talk to Sunny Sir or someone?” Pathan concluded.

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