Basit Ali Predicts Big Scores for Virat Kohli in Upcoming Test Series

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali foresees stellar performances from Virat Kohli in India's Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Ali anticipates Kohli hitting significant centuries as he returns to Test cricket after a lull in form. The first Test begins on September 19 in Chennai.

Former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali has predicted that star batter Virat Kohli will score some "big centuries" in India's upcoming Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. Kohli will return to the Test format for the first time since India's South Africa tour in January this year, having missed the home series against England due to the birth of his son Akaay.

Since then, Kohli endured an underwhelming T20 World Cup and Sri Lanka tour, intensifying his determination to regain form. Basit believes that fans can expect Kohli to reach the three-digit mark against Bangladesh and New Zealand. "In the England series, Kohli wasn't there. He didn't perform well in the Sri Lanka series. But in the Bangladesh and New Zealand series, you will see big centuries from him. Not just 110 or 115, you may see a 200-run knock," Basit stated on his YouTube channel.

During the T20 World Cup, Kohli finished with 151 runs in eight matches at an average of 18.87. Following India's 2-0 ODI series defeat against Sri Lanka, Kohli managed only 58 runs in three ODIs at an average of 19.33. The two-match Test series against Bangladesh begins on September 19 in Chennai, followed by the second Test on September 27 in Kanpur.

India has announced the squad for the first Test against Bangladesh, featuring Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, and Kohli as key batters. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant have also returned to the Test setup. The spin quartet of Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Kuldeep Yadav, along with pacers Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, and Yash Dayal, will bolster the team.

Basit named his playing XI for the first Test, opting for Kuldeep over Axar due to Bangladesh's left-handed batting lineup. "Rohit, Jaiswal, Gill, Kohli, Rahul, Pant, Jadeja, Ashwin, Kuldeep, Bumrah, Siraj," Basit named his playing XI.

(With inputs from agencies.)