Virat Kohli suffers major setback, falls behind Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan in latest ICC Rankings

NEW DELHI: Top Indian batter Virat Kohli has faced a major setback after a lacklustre performance in the recent Test series against New Zealand. Kohli struggled throughout the series, registering scores of 0, 70, 1, 17, 4, and 1 across six innings. This underwhelming performance played a significant role in India’s crushing 3-0 series defeat to New Zealand.As a result, Kohli has seen his position slide eight places further in the ICC Men's Test Batter Rankings. More concerning is the fact that Kohli, currently ranked 22nd, is now finding himself below Pakistan’s underperforming Babar Azam (ranked 17th) and Mohammad Rizwan (ranked 20th).As the Border-Gavaskar Trophy approaches, Kohli’s form will be pivotal.Historically, he has been a force against Australia, with numerous standout performances that have defined his career.His experience in Australian conditions and his aggressive style have often been instrumental in countering Australia’s formidable bowling attack, but he’ll need to rediscover that spark to give India a fighting chance.While Kohli’s ranking may have dipped, Rishabh Pant offers a glimmer of hope, having risen to No. 6 following his powerful innings in the third Test against New Zealand.Yashasvi Jaiswal, despite a slight drop, remains in the top five at No. 4, suggesting that India’s young guns may help bolster the batting lineup if Kohli continues to struggle.Shubman Gill, too, moved up four places after his recent contributions, showing promise ahead of the Australian series.Kohli’s experience and past performances in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will be critical to India’s hopes, especially given the pace and spin threats posed by Australia on home turf.However, it would be interesting to see how he manages to turn the tide.