"I don't think Virat Kohli needs a break" - Saba Karim

Former India wicket-keeper Saba Karim does not believe Virat Kohli needs a break from the game. The former India captain was dismissed for just eight in the first ODI against West Indies.

The 33-year-old has been suggested by many, including former coach Ravi Shastri, to take a brief hiatus.

The last couple of months, beginning with the humiliating T20 World Cup exit and the leadership transition of the Indian team, have been eventful to say the least.

Despite being among the runs in the ODI format as of late, Kohli has been far from his best when it comes to his flow.

Speaking on the Khelneeti podcast, Saba Karim said:

"Only Virat Kohli knows what is best for him. He knows what his state of mind is or is he able to plan like before. If he feels like it, he can take a break but I don't think Kohli needs a break. Usually, you can see the clarity in Kohli's batting right away, in the way which he approaches. It seemed like he was in a lot of haste, couldn't see his usual planning."

He added:

"It has been a while since I've seen him get out to a short ball. Alzarri Joseph clearly planned it, all he bowled was short deliveries. The clarity and the focus were missing from Kohli." Karim reasoned

The ace batter was subjected to a short ball barrage by Alzarri Joseph, right from the word go. While Kohli managed to dispatch two deliveries to the boundary rope, he was ultimately undone by a loose hook shot, which found the man in the deep.

"Rohit Sharma is god-gifted" - Saba Karim

Rohit Sharma led the troops from the front in his first ODI as full-time captain of India. After restricting West Indies to a paltry total of 176, Sharma scored a half-century to get the run chase going.

The 34-year-old was in his usual good touch despite coming out of an injury that caused him to miss the South Africa tour.

Karim added:

"It is difficult to come back into the game after an injury, but Sharma is god-gifted. He is the lone player who has all the time in the world. Avergae batters usually get beaten by pace and hurry into their shots at the international level, but Rohit Sharma is untroubled. He won't be happy with the way he got out. Captained really well, used both spinners and overall used resources pretty well. Good start for Rohit."

Sharma's dismissal triggered a mini-collapse for India in the middle overs. However, Suryakumar Yadav and Deepak Hooda took the hosts to safety with an unbeaten 62-run partnership for the 5th wicket.