Kohli returning to form will make things easier for Rohit, says former India pacer Agarkar

If Virat Kohli returned to form in time for the upcoming series between India and West Indies, it would only make things easier for captain Rohit Sharma, former pacer Ajit Agarkar has said.

Agarkar has termed Kohli's lean patch with the bat as a cause of concern for the Indian team.

The former India captain Kohli has not hit an international century since his 136 against Bangladesh at Eden Gardens in the pink ball Test in November 2019. That century marked Kohli's 70th international century.

In 2021, Kohli failed to impress with the bat in Tests as he finished with 536 runs in 11 Tests at a poor average of 28.21. While Rohit finished as India's leading run-scorer in the whites last year, Kohli was fourth in the list. Kohli scored some 400-odd runs lesser than opening batsman Rohit, who could soon be named the former's successor as India's new Test captain.

While Rohit has been named as India's new limited-overs skipper, the Indian cricket board is yet to name the Test skipper.

"At the end of the day you're only successful as successful your team is and if you don't win, it eventually doesn't matter how great a player you are out on the field, it's not enjoyable playing in the team," Agarkar told Star Sports' show 'Game Plan'.

Now that Kohli is no longer the captain of India in any format, he could focus solely on his batting. Agarkar has said the sooner the former finds his form the better for the team.

"We talk about different combinations before - Virat Kohli would be a key factor because of the kind of player that he is but at the moment he isn't at his best, which is a fact and the quicker he discovers his form it's going to be that much easier for Rohit Sharma to then manage that thing because of what he can do on his own, Virat Kohli.

"Virat Kohli's form is a concern, but we all know what a player he is. So, hopefully, he discovers his form sooner rather than later," Agarkar added in the same interview.

However, in India's recent tour of South Africa, Kohli did show some signs of good form as he scored two half-centuries in the ODI series. But he failed to capitalise on his starts and convert them into something big. India were handed a 3-0 whitewash in the 50-over series by the Temba Bavuma-led South African side.

It was earlier reported on Monday that Team India have reached Ahemdabad ahead of their ODI series. After the ODI series, India and West Indies will head to Kolkata to face off against each other in the three-game T20I series at Eden Gardens.

Rohit, who missed the South Africa tour due to a hamstring injury, will lead India against West Indies, which will be his first series as India's full-time captain.