Virat Kohli's future in team India made public by Suresh Raina

Former Indian batter Suresh Raina has come in support of star batter Virat Kohli ahead of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT 2024-25) in Australia. Suresh Raina said that it is unfair to judge Kohli’s form based on the home season amid severe criticism across the world regarding his performance.

Kohli was last seen in action during the three-match home Test series against New Zealand, where the Rohit Sharma-led team suffered a humiliating 0-3 whitewash. The batter scored only 93 runs in six innings at an average of 15.50. He will be under pressure in Australia after his recent struggles in Tests.

We Can't Judge Him From One Series - Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina said that New Zealand deserves credit for whitewashing the Indian team, adding that they played well during their recent series. He stated that the Black Caps’ spinners and overall gameplay outperformed India. Raina said that we can't judge Virat Kohli's form from one series.

"We need to give credit to New Zealand (for the whitewash). They played really well...Their cricketing ethics are very strong, in every sport. They played better than us, had good spinners...but we couldn't score much. Virat is doing really well, I think. We can't judge him from one series," Raina said in an interview with the Times of India.

Virat Kohli arrived in Australia early to prepare for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. He skipped an optional training session on Tuesday, November 12, while players like KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Yashasvi Jaiswal were seen practicing. Kohli is expected to start his practice on Wednesday, November 13.

The most Important Role Will Be Of Virat Kohli - Suresh Raina

Suresh Raina emphasized that Kohli will play a key role in the upcoming series and recalled his remarkable form during the 2014-15 Australia tour, where he scored four centuries, including two in the Adelaide Test. Raina said Kohli was confident back then, despite his current challenges with form.

"The most important role will be of Virat Kohli. I remember when we went there in 2014-15, Virat made four hundreds. And at that time, all top cricketers were playing. I remember he made hundreds in both the innings of the Adelaide Test. I didn't play that game but was sitting outside and saw his ruthless approach. He was so strong with his body language," Raina said.

Virat Kohli's Record Against Australia in Test Matches

Virat Kohli has an impressive record against Australia in Test matches, with 2,042 runs from 25 matches at an average of 47.48, including five half-centuries and eight centuries.

The 36-year-old has scored 1,352 runs in 25 innings in Australia at an average of 54.08. His standout performance came in the 2014-15 series, where he accumulated 692 runs at an average of 86.50.

The first Test of the five-match series is set to be played at Perth Stadium in Perth, starting on Friday, November 22. Both teams will be hoping to start their campaign with a victory during the series opener.

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