Virat Kohli probably wouldn't be there if I had to pick a T20 team, says Ajay Jadeja

Virat Kohli's horrendous run with the bat continued in the second T20I against England on Sunday (July 10) as he was once again dismissed cheaply on just 1 off 3 balls. Kohli made his comeback in the T20I side after a gap of almost four months but failed to live up to the expectations once again as he was sent packing in no time after coming out to bat at number three.

Despite Kohli's flop show, India managed to thrash England by 49 runs in the 2nd T20I after successfully defending the total of 170 runs to clinch the three-match series 2-0 with two wins on the trot. However, the former Indian skipper's form remains a huge concern for the Men in Blue with the T20 World Cup 2022 just a few months away.

Kohli has been enduring a rough patch across all formats for India for the last few years and his recent failures have led to former cricketers and experts questioning his spot in India's T20I team. Kohli's spot is also a matter of debate after Deepak Hooda's stellar rise and stunning performances in the top-order for India in their last few T20I matches.

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Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja recently gave his take on the debate surrounding Kohli's spot in India's T20I team and said it's a call captain Rohit Sharma would have to make. Jadeja believes Rohit will have to decide if he wants to play the brand of cricket that India want with Kohli in the side or without him.

"You have been shown that there is another way of playing the same game. You are still scoring around 180 to 200. It's not that the game has changed, but you have a choice of how you want to play. I think Rohit Sharma will be making that call," Jadeja told Sony Sports.

"I think anyone who is leading the side has only two choices. That's the way I see it. Either you stick to the way you have been playing, give opportunities to youngsters or you go back to your old team that played before you started trying to give opportunities," he added.

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Kohli was roped into India's playing XI for the second T20I against England in place of in-form Deepak Hooda, who had scored a match-winning half-century in the series opener. Hooda has been sublime form in the shortest format and has made the most of opportunities that have come his way so far.

Speaking about the intense competition for spots in the Indian top-order, Jadeja said Kohli would npt have been part of his team if he was to pick a T20I side for India. The former India batter also made a bold claim that Kohli wouldn't have been playing in Tests as well if not for his reputation for what he has done for the team in the past.

"Virat Kohli is a special player. If it wasn't Virat Kohli, he wouldn't have probably playing Test cricket as well. You look at the numbers and say 'oh, over the last 8, 10 matches, he hasn't scored a hundred'. But you don't leave him out just because he hasn't scored a hundred. You don't leave him out because of what he is done in the past," said Jadeja.

"Virat Kohli is a choice that you have to make. Do you want to play that solidity at the top and then get runs right at the back? It's that old-style when Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will bat at the top and you would have players like Dhoni where they get 60 in the last 4 overs. It depends on whom you want to play. I feel you have a choice, it's a tough one to make. If I had to pick a T20 side, Virat probably won't be there," he explained.

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Kohli has not scored a hundred in international cricket since 2019 and has been far from consistent for the Indian team across the three formats. He was rested from the South Africa series at home post the IPL 2022 and made his comeback in the one-off 5th Test against England earlier this month.

Kohli flopped in the Test match as India lost by seven wickets. He was rested from the first T20I in the ongoing series before making his return in the 2nd T20I and was expected to fire but he once again endured a disappointing outing. Kohli will be hoping to notch up a big score when India take on England in the final 3rd T20I on Sunday (July 10).