Chris Gayle, the West Indies cricket legend, supported Indian batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, saying they should continue playing in Tests during the tour to England. He believes that the longer they play, the better it is for cricket. Gayle shared his thoughts during the launch of the second season of the Pro Cricket League, where he will play for the Ghaziabad Bhawani Tigers.
Talking about Kohli and Sharma, who have faced criticism for their recent Test performances, Gayle said, “Of course they are still going, these guys still have a lot of cricket in them. Don’t push them out. The cricketing world needs those guys as much as possible. It is great to have them around still. They still bring a lot of value to international cricket. There is always going to be someone after, but the longer they are around, the better it is for the cricketing world.”
India’s tour of England this year, which consists of five Tests, will mark the start of India’s ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 cycle from June 20.
However, the Indian team has a big concern before the series: the form of veterans Rohit and Virat in Tests, which has dropped significantly. This has contributed to the team’s first-ever series whitewash at home last year by New Zealand and their failure to qualify for the WTC final this year.
The 2024-25 Test season was tough for ‘Ro-Ko’. Rohit scored just 164 runs in eight matches and 15 innings at an average of 10.93, with a best score of 52. Virat managed only 382 runs in 10 matches and 19 innings at an average of 22.87, with just one century and one fifty.
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While Rohit’s Test form dipped only in the last few months, Virat’s struggles have been longer. Since the start of 2020, Virat has averaged just 30.72 in 39 Tests, scoring 2,028 runs with only three centuries and nine fifties.
Talking about his former Indian Premier League (IPL) team, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Gayle supported Rajat Patidar-led side to go all the way under a “young, positive” captain.
“They have got a beautiful start, beating Chennai in Chennai (in their second match). That is fantastic. I am still backing them. Hopefully they go all the way this time. The young captain (Rajat Patidar) looks really good and positive. I hope he continues that. The senior guys around him are going to support him.”
RCB is currently in third place in the points table, with four wins and two losses.
Gayle also praised his compatriot and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Nicholas Pooran as the best T20 batter on the planet, saying, “He is striking the ball so well. Maybe he can get 175-180 on his day. He is in good form. It is good to see him score runs so consistently.”
In the current season, Pooran is at the top of the Orange Cap leaderboard for most runs, with 349 runs in six matches at an average of 69.80 and a strike rate of over 215. He has scored four fifties, with a best score of 87*. He has hit 26 fours and 31 sixes so far in IPL 2025.
Since his start last year, Pooran has dominated the batting charts with 2,981 runs in 93 matches and 90 innings at an average of 42.58 and a strike rate of above 162. He has scored a century and 22 fifties, hitting 218 sixes, the most by any batter.
Chris Gayle also praised Indian left-hander Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 141 in just 55 balls (with 14 fours and 10 sixes) that helped Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) easily chase down a 246-run target set by Punjab Kings (PBKS).
“I swear I did not see it but that is a fantastic innings. 141 in 55 balls is great. Travis Head and he are going all guns blazing and are a great opening pair. It is great to see these left-handers, including Pooran, dominate the IPL,” he concluded.
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