Exclusive: Paul Valthaty Slams Virat Kohli For 'Inconsistent' Team Selection

Paul Valthaty, best known for his brilliant batting display in IPL for KXIP, has come down hard at India captain Virat Kohli. The IPL star said that Virat Kohli has some technical glitches as a captain, which could be resolved. Kohli took the captaincy armband from MS Dhoni after he retired from Test cricket mid-way during a series Down Under in 2014.

Kohli was later named the captain for the national team across formats. Though India is still to win a marquee tournament under his captaincy, they came agonizingly close to get their hands on the World Cup before their progress was halted by New Zealand in the semi-final. However, in the Tests, Kohli has recorded immense success as a captain and is the most successful.

While a lot of captains have been credited for backing the players, Valthaty feels Kohli has not been consistent with his team selection. He also said that India lost the 2019 World Cup majorly as they failed to find a fix at the No.4 spot. Valthaty said that Ambati Rayudu should have played at the No.4 spot for India at the 2019 World Cup.

“The way his (Virat Kohli) culture he throws upon the team and the kind of fitness culture he has got, a captain is not just what you do on the field but it is also what he does off it. He has changed the fitness culture,” Paul Valthaty told CricketAddictor in an exclusive interview.

“Their could be some tactical things that he could come up, their have been some tactical glitches, which I feel could have been better in a few games. And probably, he could do a lot with consistent selection

“The No.4 in the Indian line-up could have been handled better, Ambati Rayudu should have been the No.4 in the World Cup and just I think the selectors and team management got it wrong in the World Cup and that is what cost us the World Cup.

“I just feel that some consistency in selection, backing players, probably the Indian could do much better to himself and the team,” he added.

Kohli will be next seen in action during the IPL 2020 set to get underway in UAE in September.