Virat Kohli has never been a great T20 player, he can't be like Rohit or Suryakumar, says ex-Pakistan captain

Virat Kohli's form has been under the scanner for quite a while now as he is yet to attain consistency for the Indian team across formats. Recently, there were calls for his ouster from India's T20 squad over his poor form but the senior batter has managed to shut his critics to an extent with his performances in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022.

Making his comeback for the Indian team after a short break, Kohli looked in good touch as he notched up a crucial 35-run-knock against Pakistan and followed it up with a brilliant half-century against Hong Kong on Thursday. However, despite his crucial contributions withthe willow, Kohli has been under immense scrutiny.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif recently spoke about Kohli's recent struggles in international cricket and claimed he has never been a 'great' T20 player. Latif believes Kohli can never be compared with someone like Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar in T20s considering his inability to go after the bowlers from the word go.

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Latif believes Kohli's game is best suited for an anchor's role in T20s as he takes his time in settling down before shifting gears in the middle. Latif said the likes of Rohit can utilise the Powerplay well and go after the bowlers right from the start of the innings.

"Virat Kohli has never been a great T20 player. We compare him to the likes of Kane Williamson, Joe Root or Steve Smith but none of them have been match-winning players in T20s. These all take the game along, playing an anchor role. Virat Kohli is a great ODI player. He cannot become Rohit Sharma or Suryakumar Yadav," Latif said on YouTube show 'Game On Hai'.

"He plays in the same fashion for Royal Challengers Bangalore as well. MS Dhoni is a different kind of player, if he plays 3-4 dot balls, he can hit 3-4 sixes as well. He can make up for the dot balls. Virat Kohli starts hitting after playing 30-35 balls. Rohit Sharma is the kind of player who utilises the powerplay very well," explained the former Pakistan captain.

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Contrary to Latif's claims, Kohli has been one of the most prolific run-getters in T20Is. With his 59-run-knock against Hong Kong on Thursday, the Indian batting maestro had become the highest averaging player in the shortest format in international cricket. Kohli has 3,402 runs to his name in 101 T20Is at a stunning average of 50.77.

He is the third-highest run-getter overall in T20Is behind only teammate Rohit Sharma and New Zealand's Martin Guptill. Kohli will be seen in action next when India take on Pakistan for the second time in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 on Sunday (September 04).