IND vs SL 2022: "The way Virat Kohli bats, it never looked like he has struggled" - Saba Karim

Former Indian wicketkeeper Saba Karim feels it is a bit unfair to call star batter Virat Kohli as someone who is "out of form" at the moment.

The 33-year-old has failed to score an international hundred since November 2019. However, Karim feels he has still made meaningful contributions and is looking good at the crease.

The former cricketer is also of the opinion that Kohli is a victim of his own greatness. Karim believes the bar that Kohli has set with his sensational performances over the years is what he is being judged by.

Speaking on the YouTube channel 'Khelneeti', Saba Karim hoped that it would only be a matter of time before Kohli returns to his best. He said:

"It is taking time (for the 71st international hundred) but whenever Kohli has batted it hasn't looked like he has struggled or is finding it difficult to score runs. His 30s, 40s and 50s have always shown that he is a complete player. So we can hope that this so-called lean phase by his standards due to the benchmark that he has set will go away soon."

Saba Karim also shed light on how Kohli focused on his fitness and transformed himself to be successful in Test cricket. He added:

"When he made his entry in international cricket, he had a chubby face and was a tad overweight according to me. But this is what makes a player great when there is an ambition to represent India and contribute like a match-winner, there is a lot to learn."

Karim concluded:

"The way Virat changed his lifestyle has what made his longevity spectacular and he has been such an effective player."

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"Virat Kohli in a way started a new era of pace bowlers" - Saba Karim

Saba Karim believes one of Kohli's biggest contributions to Indian cricket has been the way he began a fast bowling revolution. When Kohli took over the Test captaincy, India were seventh in the ICC Test Rankings and were not winning frequently away from home.

However, it was Kohli's idea to form a potent pace attack capable of troubling batsmen in their own backyard. In this regard, Saba Karim stated:

"Virat Kohli in a way started a new era of pace bowlers. He realized that if they had to win away from home, it was important to have four-five wicket-taking pacers."

He added:

"He also started the five-bowler theory because he thought that in overseas conditions, you need to rotate your five bowlers that will help you take 20 wickets."

Virat Kohli's 100th Test will be played against Sri Lanka in Mohali, starting on Friday, March 4.