Will back all players who have done well in the past: Virat Kohli

MUMBAI: India Test and ODI captain Virat Kohli on Monday came out in support of his out-of-form Test deputy Ajinkya Rahane, saying he will back all players struggling for form as he doesn't want an environment where players feel insecure.

Rahane has not been in great form, his last ton coming in the Boxing Day Test against Australia in 2020. He could not score much in the Kanpur Test, even as Shreyas Iyer struck a century on debut, and missed the Mumbai Test with a hamstring injury. That leaves his fate hanging in a balance as the selectors pick the squad for the tour of South Africa starting later this month.

Kohli said Rahane will have to judge his own form but he will back him as he would do for any other player going through such a situation.

"I can't judge his form. No one can judge it. Only the individual knows what he's going through. We need to back them in these moments, especially when they have done well in the past. We don't have this environment where we have our players asking 'what happens now?' That's not how we do it in the side," Kohli said in the post-match press conference.

"We don't react to criticisms or praise, whatever happens outside doesn't affect us. We as players know what happens in the team and in our heads. There's a lot going on outside and we can't let those things affect the way we play. We support everybody in the side, Ajinkya or anyone. We don't take decisions based on what happens outside," Kohli added.

The skipper himself has not been in great form. He has not scored a Test century for more than two years, his last three-figure knock coming in November 2019 in the pink-ball Test against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens. He could manage scores of 0 and 36 in two innings at the Wankhede.

Kohli said the year has been good for the team barring the two setbacks -- in the T20 World Cup and the World Test Championship final.

Asked how a player should tackle slump in form, Kohli said working hard and trusting the process is the key to recovering the touch. IANS

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