India should persist with Virat Kohli, he still has ability to make impact: Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting feels India should persist with Virat Kohli at the international level, adding that the star batter still has the ability to have a meaningful impact for the team. Kohli has not scored a century since November 2019, struggled for runs during this year's IPL and even failed to contribute much with the bat during the recently-concluded tour of England. There have been calls to drop him from Team India but Ponting, who captained Australia to two World Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2007, believes the 33-year-old still has that fear factor for the opposition captain or an opposition player. "I think if I was an opposition captain or an opposition player, I will be fearing playing an Indian team that has Virat Kohli in it, more than I would be one that doesn't have him in it," Ponting said in the latest episode of The ICC Review.

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Virat Kohli is enduring a wretched run with the bat and has failed to score a century since November 2019. He could manage just 76 runs from six innings across formats on the England soil, which included the rescheduled fifth Test, two ODIs and as many T20s.

"I know there have been some challenges for him, it's been a difficult time. But every great player that I have seen in this game has been through it at some stage, whether that's a batsman or a bowler, they have all been through it. And somehow, the best (players) find a way to rebound and respond, and it's only a matter of time before Virat does that," he added. The Australian great believes Kohli's best performances for his country have come when he has been settled both on the field and off the field. He also feels that India's coaching hierarchy needs