Selectors wanted to drop Virat Kohli in 2012: Virender Sehwag

Mohali: Virender Sehwag may have retired from cricket, but the former India opening batsman continues to run riot from the commentary box.

Sehwag, who is also known as ‘Nazafgarh ka Nawab’, is now entertaining fans with his remarks as a television pundit.

One such comment from Sehwag caught the attention of the cricketing world.

The 38-year-old, who is currently doing Hindi commentary in the third Test between India and England, revealed that Virat Kohli may never have gotten the chance to play Test cricket for India, if the selectors had their way, back in 2011.

The Indian selectors were prepared to drop Kohli, after a couple of wayward performances in Australia, when he averaged just 10.75 runs in the first two Tests.

However, according to Sehwag, who was the vice-captain at that point, both him and Dhoni decided to give Kohli another chance.

"The selectors wanted to play Rohit Sharma instead of Kohli at Perth in 2012," said Sehwag. “I was vice-captain and Dhoni was leading the team, and we decided that we have to back Kohli. The rest is history."

Kohli scored 44 and 75 in the Perth Test, and later went on to score his maiden century in the Adelaide Test.