I will fear an Indian team with Virat in it, Ricky Ponting backs out-of-form Kohli

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting has backed the out-of-form Virat Kohli, saying he would fear an Indian team with the No. 3 batsman in it.

Kohli's struggles are well documented over the last few months, raising questions about his place in India's side ahead of the T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place later this year in Australia.

The 33-year-old Kohli, who is one century away from equalling Ponting's record of 71 international tons, has not scored a hundred for India in any format since November 2019. Nevertheless, Ponting has joined the list of legends and current players who have shown support for Kohli, who is easily a modern-day cricketing great.

"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. 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," Ponting said on ICC Review.

Ponting also stated that if India do decide to leave Kohli from the team, the latter may not easily find a place again in the team.

"If you leave Virat out of the eve of the World Cup, and someone comes in and has a reasonable tournament, it will be hard for Virat to get back in it.

"If I was India, I will keep pushing with him, because I know the upside. If they actually get him back confident and playing as well as he can, that upside is better than most. So I think if I was a captain or a coach around the Indian set up, I will be making life as easy as possible for him to feel as comfortable as possible, and just wait for him to flick the switch and start scoring runs again," added Ponting.

The former Australian captain also advised the Indian selectors to pick a spot for Kohli in the top-order and leave him there for the entire T20 World Cup.

"Early in the tournament, for a first-round game, (it's important to) get him in nice and early, among the runs, and then hopefully by the end of the tournament, you'll have Virat Kohli back at his best.

"That's the way I would look at it. I wouldn't think about holding him back at the start of the tournament, with the thought that you might be able to bring him back towards the back end and have him peak. Tournament play isn't like that. You need to work your way into the tournament, get some runs under your belt, and get some confidence and then be playing your best cricket at the back end," said Ponting.

India recently defeated England in both T20I and ODI series. Out of the six limited-overs games, Kohli featured in five but did not reach the fifty-run mark even in one match.

Team India is now in the Caribbean for three ODIs and five T20Is against West Indies. Kohli is among the players rested for the tour.