IND vs AUS: Michael Clarke Defends Virat Kohli and Urges India to Keep Faith Despite Struggles

Virat Kohli’s form has raised concerns, as he scored only 190 runs in the 2024-25 Border Gavaskar Trophy, despite starting the Australia tour with a century in Perth. His overall performance for the 2024-25 season is worrying, with just 382 runs in 10 matches, averaging 22.87, including one century and one half-century.

Michael Clarke acknowledged Kohli’s recent struggles but highlighted his immense talent and impact on the game. Clarke emphasized that Kohli’s unpredictability makes him dangerous, as he could score a double hundred at any time and his experience adds extra value to the team. He said:

It’s Virat Kohli! This guy can make a double hundred tomorrow. He’s that good a player. This guy could play; he should play until he’s had enough. If he retires from Test cricket right now, there’s only one team losing out: it’s India. If I were captain of any team that Virat Kohli was in, even though I know he didn’t make as many runs as he would have liked, I’m fighting for him to stay in my team.

Clarke strongly defended Kohli, stating that if he were the captain, he would “fight with the team management” to keep Kohli in the India Test lineup. He added that despite Kohli’s recent form, the Indian team would lose out if Kohli decides to retire from Test cricket.