Former India captain Virat Kohli received another vote of confidence amid a report claiming that he might be excluded from the national squad for the impending 2024 T20 World Cup as ex-BCCI chief selector Kris Srikkanth fumed at what he labelled as a "rumour-monger".

Not only did he back Kohli to find a spot in the World Cup team, he also reckoned that the star batter should be honoured like the legendary Sachin Tendulkar after India's 2011 ODI World Cup win. It was a report in the Telegraph earlier this week which said that with Kohli struggling to meet the demands of the format, he might be dropped from the World Cup squad, unless he changes his approach during the IPL 2024. The report further mentioned that the final decision rests in the hands of Ajit Agarkar, the incumbent chief selector. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikanth lost his cool and lashed out at the report, sending a sharp reminder of Kohli's achievements in the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup. The India star was the highest run-getter in 2022 with 296 runs in six innings, which included that iconic knock in Melbourne. "No chance. It's not possible to be without Virat Kohli at the T20 World Cup. He is the one who took us to the semi-finals in T20 World Cup 2022. He was the Man of the Tournament. Who is saying all this? These rumour-mongers, don't they have any other job? What is the basis for all this chatter? If India have to win the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli is a must in the squad," he said. One of the major argument against Kohli's selection has been his strike rate in the format. But Srikkanth feels that despite what the numbers may say, India need an anchor batter in Kohli, who deserves a similar send-off whic Sachin had recieved in 2011. "You need a guy who can just stay there. India need that sheet anchor, be it T20 World Cup or ODI World Cup. Without Virat Kohli, the Indian team cannot go. We need Virat Kohli, 100 per cent. I still believe Virat Kohli should be honoured like how Sachin Tendulkar was in 2011. The Indian team should win the World Cup for Virat. It will be a great thing for Virat Kohli," he said. Read more news like this on HindustanTimes.com