Virat Kohli should have married after scoring 120 centuries: Shoaib Akhtar

New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s quest for the 71st international century has become a hot topic in cricket.

Former India captain is going through a lean phase in his career, where he is not able to convert his starts into a ton. It has been more than two years since the swashbuckling batter has scored a century.

Interestingly, former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has balmed Virat’s lack of centuries on his marriage with Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma.

Speaking to ANI, Aktar said, “Performance pressure is there on Virat Kohli. I wanted him to marry after scoring 120 centuries. I wouldn’t have married had I been in his place, anyway, that’s his personal decision.”

Former Pakistan cricketer also stated that Virat Kohli was forced to leave the captaincy of India.

Last year, Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one skipper for the white-ball format. Kohli then last week stepped down as India’s Test captain after leading the side for seven years.

“Virat didn’t leave captaincy but was forced to do so. This is not the best of times for him but he needs to prove what he is made of. Is he made of steel or iron? He is a great guy and a cricketer. Do not try too many things, just go out there and play cricket. He is a great batsman and has achieved more than anyone else in the world. He just needs to go out there and play with his natural flow.”

“He plays a lot with his bottom hand and I think when the form is out, bottom hand players usually are the first ones to get in trouble. I think he’s gonna come out of this. He should move forward from this and not keep any bitterness against anyone. Just forgive everybody and keep moving,” he added.