“We’re always scared when he bowls” - Bhuvneshwar Kumar pokes fun at Virat Kohli, also suggests alternate career for star batter

Seasoned Team India pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has said that star batter Virat Kohli thinks he is the best bowler in the team. He went on to add that team members are scared when Kohli bowls, as he could get injured due to his bowling action.

Bhuvneshwar has represented India in 21 Tests, 121 ODIs and 87 T20Is. However, the 33-year-old hasn’t featured in an international game since November 2022. Meanwhile, Kohli was part of the Indian team during the tour of the West Indies and will next be seen in the upcoming Asia Cup.

At the CEAT awards in Mumbai on Monday (August 21), Bhuvneshwar made a couple of comments on Kohli. He joked about the former Indian captain’s bowling:

“Virat Kohli thinks he’s the best bowler in the team. We’re always scared when he bowls, as he could get injured due to his bowling action.”

Another wisecrack followed as the right-arm pacer suggested an alternate career for the 34-year-old batter.

“He would have been a wrestler if he was not a cricketer,” Bhuvneshwar was quoted as saying in media reports.

Bhuvneshwar has claimed 63 wickets in Tests, 141 in ODIs and 90 in T20Is.

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The debate over Virat Kohli’s international future

Recently, there has been a debate over Kohli’s future in international cricket after the World Cup.

During an interview with RevSportz, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar opined that Kohli must quit white-ball cricket after the World Cup and focus on Tests.

"I don't think he should play more 50-overs matches after this World Cup. Also, if you see him in T20s, it takes a lot out of him. I think he should play for at least six more years and break the 100 hundreds record of Sachin Tendulkar.

"Kohli has it in him to break the record. He should focus on Test cricket after this World Cup and break this record,” the Rawalpindi Express had commented.

However, former India captain Sourav Ganguly disagreed with the suggestion. Rubbishing Akhtar’s theory, he said on the sidelines of a Denver event:

"Why? Virat Kohli should play whatever cricket he wants to play. Because he performs.”

Kohli, who recently completed 15 years in international cricket, has amassed 25,582 runs across formats in 501 games, averaging 53.63 with 76 hundreds and 131 fifties.