"He has to do well at Test Cricket because the Indian cricket team depends on him" - Sourav Ganguly on Virat Kohli

Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reckons Virat Kohli must step up in the upcoming Test series against Australia, starting in Nagpur on February 9. The former Indian captain also expects an India-Australia clash in the World Test Championship final at The Oval in June.

Kohli recently found his straps in ODI and T20I cricket. However, the right-hander has continued to struggle in Tests, with his last hundred in the format coming away back in November 2019. His scores in the recent two-Test series in Bangladesh were 1, 19, 24, and 1, but that didn't stop India from blanking the hosts.

Speaking to India Today, Ganguly said he expects a close series against Australia and that India's chances depend a lot on Kohli.

"Virat Kohli is doing good. He has done well against Bangladesh and Srilanka. He has to do well at Test Cricket also because the Indian cricket team depends on him. The Australia series is coming soon and I hope it will be a very good one. I want India and Australia to play the World Test Championship Final."

Opening up on India's chances in the 2023 World Cup, Ganguly believes India have a well-drilled side. He added that a consistent run to the players should keep them in good stead. The Prince of Kolkata added:

"Indian side is very strong. India can't be a bad team. In our country, there are lots of players who play cricket. Half of them don't get a chance in the national team as the competition is very high. I want this team to play till World Cup. I want that the selectors and Rahul Dravid should keep this team together till World Cup. And in World Cup they should not worry much they just have to play good."

The Men in Blue recently won the ODI series against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, sweeping the opposition comfortably. India's win came on the back of heavy runs from the top-order batters, while the bowling department showed their prowess equally.

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"We together have done the brainstorming during the time when I was BCCI president" - Sourav Ganguly on the WPL

With the Women's Premier League (WPL) finally coming to fruition, Ganguly revealed that the planning had started under his regime. He expects it to grow in the coming years.

"We together have done the brainstorming during the time when I was BCCI president. I was President, Rajeev Shukla was VP, Jay Shah was Secretary, Arun Dhumal was Treasurer. We did this planning at that time, and now it was implemented. That has to be done. I am not surprised about Women's IPL as in India cricket has a big portion. And in the coming days, I don't think it will be limited to only 5 teams."

The WPL is likely to start on March 4 and run until March 24 with five teams.