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Selectors want struggling Virat Kohli to play ODI series against Zimbabwe to regain form - Report

Selectors want struggling Virat Kohli to play ODI series against Zimbabwe to regain form - Report

Will Virat Kohli play India's ODI series against Zimbabwe?

Team India is all set to tour Zimbabwe for the first time in six years. The Men in Blue will play a three-match ODI series against the hosts starting on August 18. While there are rumours that senior batter Virat Kohli might skip the series along with several other first-choice players, the Indian selectors reportedly want the senior batter on the plane to Zimbabwe.

India are expected to field a second-string squad against Zimbabwe but Kohli is likely to feature amid his struggles across formats. He has not been in top-notch form for quite a while now and has been struggling for consistency for the Indian team. After a poor IPL 2022 campaign, his woeful run continued in India's recently-concluded tour of England.

As per a report in Insidesport, the Indian selectors want Kohli to not skip the Zimbabwe ODI series and play there in order to regain his form ahead of the Asia Cup 2022. Kohli was earlier expected to rest after the England tour and make his return in the Asia Cup. However, it seems he might feature in India's ODI series against Zimbabwe.

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“Hopefully, the break allows him to rejuvenate mentally and get his form back. But without any competitive cricket, it will be difficult and that is why we want him to play against Zimbabwe. It’s his preferred format and will help him regain his form before the Asia Cup. We will take a final decision close to the selection,” a member of the Indian selection committee was quoted as saying by InsideSport.

Kohli will miss India's upcoming ODI and T20I series against West Indies which gets underway from July 22. Along with Kohli, several senior Indian players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami among others will miss the ODI series. However, in T20Is, only Kohli and Bumrah have been rested with Rohit returning to lead the side.

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Amid his ongoing lean patch, there have been questions raised over Kohli's spot in India's T20I team and it will be crucial for the senior batter to regain his touch against Zimbabwe if he is aked to play the series. Kohli will be hopeful of sparking a turnaround and gain some form ahead of the Asia Cup 2022.