Lambasting Virat Kohli for neither playing domestic cricket nor working hard to iron out the technical flaws in his game, former pacer Irfan Pathan on Sunday questioned star batter’s place in the side and called for an end to the superstar culture in the Indian team.

Kohli and Rohit Sharma were woefully out of form during the just-concluded Test series against Australia. The 1-3 defeat resulted in team losing out on qualifying for the World Test Championship final.

Kohli could manage only 190 runs in his nine innings in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, repeatedly offering edges to the slip cordon or keeper.

“We need to end superstar culture, we need team culture. You need to improve yourself and improve the Indian team. There were matches before this series, too, and they had an opportunity to play domestic cricket, but they didn’t. We need to change that culture,” Pathan told Star Sports.

The former all-rounder said 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
“When was the last time Virat Kohli played domestic cricket? (the host points out that Kohli’s last first-class appearance for Delhi was in 2012) It has been more than a decade.”

Pathan went to the extent of saying that maybe Kohli’s place should be given to a youngster, given that he has averaged less than 30 in first innings in the last five years.

“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.”

Pathan also questioned if Kohli was even serious to improve.

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 is in the field. How long does it take to talk to Sunny Sir or someone?”

Australia beat India by six wickets in the fifth and final Test to regain the Border Gavaskar trophy series.

Jasprit Bumrah was not on the field for the fourth innings of the fifth Test against Australia but was the star of the series with a display that will go down in history as he ended the series with 32 wickets in nine innings at a stunning average of 13.06 with three five-wicket hauls.

Bumrah took a nine-wicket haul twice in the series, having achieved the feat in both the first Test at Perth and the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne. The 31-year-old created history by beating Bishan Singh Bedi’s 47-year-old record for the most wickets in a Test series by an Indian bowler in an away series. Bedi had taken 31 scalps during India’s tour of Australia in 1977-78.

Bumrah’s incredible individual brilliance was awarded with the Player of the Series (POTS) award despite India’s 3-1 series victory. The 31-year-old was the highest wicket-taker from both teams in the series. Infact, the Indian star’s average is the second best after Richard Hadlee (12.15 in 1985) for a bowler who took more than 20 wickets in a Test series in Australia.

Bumrah wrote his name in the history books after becoming the first Indian in history to win a Player of the Series (POTS) in Australia, England, and South Africa. Bumrah won the elusive prize during India’s tour of England in 2022-23 when he took 23 wickets in five matches and finished as the highest wicket-taker. The star pacer also won the prize in South Africa last year with 12 wickets in two matches. He is the only Indian to win the POTS award in a Test series in the Rainbow Nation.

With his incredible feat in Australia, Bumrah has become the first Indian to win a POTS award in a Test series in three SENA (South Africa, England, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) nations.

Bumrah is only the second pacer after Brett Lee (2007-08) to win the MOTS award in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The 31-year-old also captained India in their sole victory at Perth. He also led the team in the final Test at Sydney before an injury cut short his involvement.

Team India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir wants everyone to play domestic cricket.

Speaking to reporters in Sydney after the conclusion of the fifth India-Australia Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, which the hosts won by 6 wickets on Sunday (January 5), Gambhir said, “I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket. That’s how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given.

Not only one game; if they are available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket as simply as it can get. If you don’t give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players you want in Test cricket.”

Further Gautam Gambhir was asked about Andrew McDonald’s comments on India ‘intimidating’ Sam Konstas at the end of Day 1:

“It’s a tough sport played by tough men. You can’t be that soft.

“As simple as it can get. I don’t think there was anything intimidating about it.”

Senior Players including India captain Rohit Sharma had a prolonged lean patch. Kohli too struggled in the series and was caught in the slips as many as eight times.