IND vs ENG: "I Think He’s Earned The Right To Never Be Written Off"- Ben Stokes' Big Comment On Virat Kohli

Ben Stokes, an all-rounder for England, has claimed that Indian batsman Virat Kohli has earned the right to never be written off because of his incredible work over the years. The bowler for England claimed that he was shocked when questions about Kohli were put up during the former Indian captain’s difficult batting stretch. 

The T20 World Cup 2022 is currently taking place in Australia, and Virat Kohli has been in outstanding form. Following the conclusion of the Super 12 stage, he is in the lead in the run-scoring rankings. The 34-year-old has scored 246 runs in five games, averaging 123 and striking out at a rate of 138.98. 

On Thursday, November 10, at the Adelaide Oval, Kohli will play for Team India against England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2022.

Ben Stokes Hails Virat Kohli

Stokes was questioned about Virat Kohli’s current form and all the criticism he endured during his slump during a news conference on Tuesday, November 8. 

Stokes supported the Indian player, with whom he has engaged in a number of on-field scraps. 

“Look at that form. How unbelievable it is. Like you know, he had a not so loud couple of months and, for some reason, players like that will get written off. I’ve got no idea why. I think he’s earned the right to never be written off. You don’t produce the number and produce the innings that he does over all three formats.

“We as players and those who have played against him a lot, you never take anything he’s done in the game before into the game he’s got there. So just lay off a bit maybe.”

For more than a thousand days, Kohli went without a century in international cricket. When he scored 122* off 61 balls against Afghanistan in Dubai in September of 2022, he ended his dry spell. 

We Won’t Take Rohit Sharma Lightly: Ben Stokes

Rohit Sharma, the India captain, had a subpar T20 World Cup campaign while Kohli has been in fantastic form with the bat. In India’s other Super 12 matches, he recorded scores of 4, 15, 2, and 15 while scoring a half-century against the Netherlands. 

Stokes, however, asserted that England won’t treat Rohit lightly in the Thursday semifinal. He called the Indian captain “a superb player” and said:

“You would never look too much into what baggage the great players of your era are taking in. The likes of Rohit, they are world-class players. We can’t take anything, how they performed in the previous games and stuff like that into these big games.

“We’ve seen him do it many a times. He’s one of the best to play the game especially in this format. We won’t be taking him lightly at all.”

In the meantime, Rohit was whacked on his right forearm, which gave India cause for concern prior to their semi-final match against England. The ball reared up from a length and smacked the right-handed hitter on the forearm as he was facing throwdowns. 

Also Read:IND vs ENG: “Let’s Not Fool Ourselves”- Aakash Chopra Discusses India’s Issues Before The Semifinals