"Virat Kohli's best is yet to come" - Salman Butt on former India captain's batting form

Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt believes former Indian skipper Virat Kohli is yet to regain his prime form despite showing glimpses of his vintage self of late.

Butt noted that it is important for a player to focus on specific formats to be able to thrive in international cricket, considering the jam-packed schedule.

The 38-year-old backed the star Indian batter to perform exceptionally well in the near future. Citing the example of Sri Lankan batting legend Kumar Sangakkara, Butt mentioned that a batter is bound to get better during the latter stages of his career.

"Virat Kohli's best is yet to come," he said in a video uploaded on his YouTube channel. "He has become fluent but is not back in full flow. He had golden years in which he was unstoppable. When you look at Kumar Sangakkara's career, the way he played towards the end of it was just amazing. He didn't play in the same fashion when he was young.

"In modern-day cricket, the excessive amount of international cricket takes a toll on a player. Smart players choose their format and focus on that. Once that happens, they can continue their class. So it's up to Kohli when it comes to deciding on his future. But I feel his best will come again."

Notably, Kohli ended his lean patch with the bat with a fantastic unbeaten 122-run knock against Afghanistan at the Asia Cup last year. He continued to shine in white-ball cricket, scoring ODI centuries against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The seasoned campaigner will next be seen in action during the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia. The four-match home Test series gets underway on Thursday, February 9, in Nagpur.

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"Both teams have a lot of X-factors" - Salman Butt on the upcoming Test series between India and Australia

Salman Butt further added that both India and Australia have very strong lineups going into the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.

The former cricketer emphasized that in-form opener Shubman Gill could play a big role in the crucial series. He emphasized that Australia too have batters like Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne who could make it difficult for India, given their ability to play spin well.

"Both teams have a lot of X-factors," Butt added. "For India, Shubman Gill has been the X-factor of late when it comes to their batting. But that might change, as it is Test cricket.

"Australia have Usman Khawaja, who plays spin really well and has had a good outing against Pakistan in the UAE and recently as well when he came to Pakistan. Marnus Labuschagne is another player who plays spin well."

The upcoming Test series is of utmost importance for Rohit Sharma and Co., as they have a chance of booking a place in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. Australia, on the other hand, have already qualified for the summit clash, scheduled to take place at the Oval in June 2023.