Rohit Sharma defends Virat Kohli again; baffled by criticism for ex-skipper

Virat Kohli during the second ODI against England. Pic/Bipin Patel

India skipper Rohit Sharma has once again come to the defence of Virat Kohli after the batsman was out for 16 in the second ODI against England to extend his prolonged lean patch.

At the post-match press conference following the team's 100-run drubbing to England here on Thursday, Rohit looked agitated as he interrupted a scribe even before he could complete his question on Kohli's poor run of form.

"Kyun ho rahi hain, yaar. Matlab mujhe samajh mein nahi aata, bhai. [Why is there so much of discussion...I can't understand this]," Rohit said.

"He has played so many matches, over such a long period of time. He is such a great batter, so he does not need reassurance." If Rohit's support was not enough, his English counterpart Jos Buttler too backed Kohli to regain his touch, and said a big knock is "always due" from a player of his calibre.

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Making a comeback after sitting out the first ODI because of a groin strain, Kohli was dismissed after striking three boundaries at Lord's, once again leading to discussions on his poor form.

In the preceding T20I series Kohli had scores of 1 and 11, and was also dismissed cheaply in the fifth Test against England, forcing legends such as Kapil Dev to wonder why he could not be dropped.

But Rohit maintained the Indian No.3 does not need any reassurance and his spot in the team is secure. "As I have said previously, form can go up and down, it's part and parcel for every cricketer's career. Even the greatest of the cricketer would have his share of ups and downs," he said.

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