“We don’t entertain that as a team” - Virat Kohli on constant criticism of Ajinkya Rahane during India vs New Zealand series

Team India skipper Virat Kohli has reiterated that continued criticism of Ajinkya Rahane doesn’t bother the think tank because people on the outside don’t exactly know what’s going on in the team.

Rahane, who has struggled for runs since scoring a famous hundred in the Boxing Day Test against Australia last year, registered scores of 35 and 4 against New Zealand in Kanpur. He led the team in the first Test before being ruled out of the second due to an injury.

With Shreyas Iyer scoring a century on Test debut in Kanpur and Mayank Agarwal coming up with a hundred in Mumbai, the pressure has only grown on Rahane. Kohli, not for the first time, downplayed the criticism of his deputy in Test matches.

Speaking at a virtual press conference after India’s win in Mumbai, Kohli commented:

“I cannot judge Ajinkya’s form. I think no one can judge it. The individual in question knows the areas of the game he needs to work on. We need to back players who have come up with impact performances for us in the past under difficult circumstances in key Test matches.”

Elaborating on the scenario with regards to Rahane's form, Kohli explained:

“If there is some pressure on an individual and people start creating an environment wherein everyone is asking “what happens next?”, we don’t entertain that as a team. We cannot expect that balance outside. The same people who praise certain players want them out of the team after two months. We have never reacted like that and we never will because we know the amount of effort that goes into it (playing the game). We will support him, whether it is Ajinkya or someone else. We won’t take a decision based on the atmosphere outside.”

Rahane’ extended lean spell has seen his Test average drop below 40. In 79 Tests, the 33-year-old has scored 4795 runs at an average of 39.30.

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“Sometimes you have to wait and work hard for them” - Virat Kohli on struggle for big scores

Team India skipper Virat Kohli. Pic: Getty Images

While Rahane is going through a tough time, Kohli himself hasn’t scored an international hundred since November 2019.

Asked if a batter needs to alter his game to try and overcome the challenges, Kohi replied in the negative. He explained:

“It’s the usual process that you follow. You keep working hard on your game. When there are no obvious dismissal patterns, then you have to persevere. You need to understand that you are going out there and batting 70-80 balls, unlocking that space mentally where you can start taking on the game a little bit. Sometimes those things come naturally and sometimes you have to wait and work hard for them. The one thing that is constant is the hard work that happens behind the scenes.”

Kohli, who missed the T20I series and the first Test in Kanpur as he was on rest, contributed 0 and 36 in India’s 372-run triumph in Mumbai.