Michael Vaughan is not one to hold back, and ahead of the five-match Test series between England and India, he has done it again, this time taking a dig at the fuss around Virat Kohli’s absence.
India are set to begin their five-match Test tour in England at Headingley in Leeds on June 20, and much of the pre-series chatter has revolved around the retirements of Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Virat Kohli, who scored 9,230 Test runs and captained India to historic overseas wins, has a modest record in England. Across 17 Tests in England, he averaged 33.21, with his best series coming in 2018 when he struck 593 runs but India still lost 4-1. Vaughan believes that while Kohli’s leadership and cultural imprint on the team remain intact, his personal batting record in these conditions is not irreplaceable.
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Michael Vaughan’s Cold Take on Virat Kohli’s England Numbers
Vaughan acknowledged Kohli’s legacy and influence as a leader but suggested his actual batting numbers in English conditions do not justify his loss being considered a major blow.
"Kohli is a legend and a culture creator around this Indian team, and what he brought as a captain to the team is still there in terms of the energy and the drive and the aggression. But he only averaged 33 here in the UK. You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33, but you miss someone that brings so much to the dressing room," Vaughan said as quoted to Fox Cricket.
He went on to speak highly of the new-generation Indian cricketers who are set to take the field in the absence of veterans, who have retired from Test cricket.
"These players that are going to come in and play for India, they’re seriously good players. Maybe this new generation has been waiting. Maybe they’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t be surprised that they play really well," he added.
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Ben Stokes Feels the Void Left by Virat Kohli’s Competitiveness
While Vaughan chose to focus on Kohli’s numbers, Ben Stokes took a different route. The England skipper, speaking in a video shared by the ECB ahead of the series, touched on something that does not show up on a scorecard, the presence Kohli brings every time he steps on the field.
"I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn’t he? It’ll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time," Stokes opined.
India's last Test series win in England came in 2007 under Rahul Dravid, and since then, several tours have ended in heartbreak. With Kohli not part of this summer’s challenge, the spotlight shifts entirely to a new generation led by Shubman Gill eager to change the script.
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