IND vs BAN: Virat Kohli slated to make "Big Centuries" in Tests by Pakistan legend

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali recently made a bold prediction about star Indian batter Virat Kohli ahead of the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home.

Basit Ali stated that Virat Kohli will score big centuries in the Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand on home soil.

Virat Kohli has struggled to score centuries in the longer format of the game in recent years.

The right-handed batter went through a period between 2019 and 2022 without a century across formats. However, the ace batter has regained his form in white-ball cricket and scored many centuries.

Virat Kohli Didn't Perform Well In The Sri Lanka Series

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Basit Ali pointed out that Virat Kohli failed to perform well against Sri Lanka in the ODI series' last match. However, Basit is confident that Virat will smash big centuries in the upcoming home Test matches.

"In the England series, Virat wasn't there. He didn't perform well in the Sri Lanka series. But in the Bangladesh and the New Zealand series, you will see big centuries (from Virat). Not 110 or 115, you may see a 200-run knock from him," Basit said.

The 35-year-old missed the home Test series against England earlier this year due to the birth of his son, Akaay. He had an underwhelming performance in the T20 World Cup and the Sri Lanka tour. He is set to return to Test cricket for the first time after his last match against South Africa in January 2024.

Virat Kohli Last Seen In Action During Sri Lanka Series

The Delhi-born cricketer last played for Team India in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, where the Rohit Sharma-led team suffered a 0-2 loss.

Kohli struggled against Sri Lankan spinners during the series. The star batter scored just 58 runs in three ODI matches at a disappointing average of 19.33.

The Test series between India and Bangladesh will start on September 19 at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The second Test will be played at Green Park in Kanpur from September 27. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian squad for the first Test.

Basit Ali's Playing XI For The 1st Test

Basit Ali has also named his playing XI for the first Test against Bangladesh. He picked KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant over Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel for the series opener.

He included Kuldeep Yadav ahead of Axar Patel due to the presence of several left-handed Bangladeshi batters.

Basit Ali's playing XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj.

Following the series against Bangladesh, India will host New Zealand for a three-match series starting on October 16.

The Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, will then travel to Australia for a five-match Test series beginning in November. India will play a total of 10 Test matches till January 2025.

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