"He is past his best and that will hurt" - Former England cricketer makes massive statement on Virat Kohli after dismal BGT 2024-25

Former England cricketer David Lloyd believes Virat Kohli is well past his prime and will continue to struggle in Test cricket after a disappointing Border-Gavaskar Trophy Down Under. The 36-year-old scored only 190 runs at an underwhelming average of 23.75 in five Tests as India suffered a 1-3 series defeat to Australia.

Kohli's Test form has been a much-discussed topic among former Indian players and fans, considering his sub-par numbers since 2020. The champion batter has averaged under 31 in his last 39 Tests in that period with only three centuries.

Talking about Kohli's indifferent form on talkSport Cricket, Lloyd said [Via Hindustan Times]:

"Virat Kohli knows he is past his best and that will hurt. When India come to England, you know where he's going to be. Just outside off stump, and the business area will be the slips. At 36 years of age, up in the mind, he knows what he should be doing. Your reflexes gently go. Ponting said he carried on a bit longer than he usually would have."

He added:

"The selectors should know. He is one of the greatest players we have seen but is past his best. The coach Gautam Gambhir will have an enormous say, a big say, because he has been in that dressing room. He has lost time. His time is over. The one thing when you talk about great cricketers, that the rest haven't, is time. He has lost time. It's gone. His time's gone. It comes with age."

Kohli struggled massively even in the home series against New Zealand just before the Australian tour, averaging under 16 in three Tests. His dismal showing played a crucial role in India suffering their first home series loss since 2012.

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"Might just find a new Dravid, a new Tendulkar" - David Lloyd

Tendulkar and Dravid remain two of India's all-time greatest Test batters [Credit: Getty]

David Lloyd felt the Indian team management and selectors should look to blood new players from the England Test series.

India have lost six out of their last eight red-ball matches to be eliminated from the World Test Championship (WTC) final for the first time. They finished runners-up in the first two editions of the tournament in 2021 and 2023.

"When a team is in transition, they've got to find new players. That's what the selectors, the coaches, the captain – that's what you've got to do. They've got plenty of cricketers to choose from India and it's a great opportunity for the younger cricketers to make a mark. If I was involved, I would be stimulated by it. I might just find a new Dravid, a new Tendulkar or a new Ganguly because that's how they also came into the team," said Lloyd.

Team India's focus will now shift to the white-ball formats with their next Test assignment being the five-match series in England, starting in June.