“You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33” - Michael Vaughan on Virat Kohli

Former England captain and commentator Michael Vaughan feels Team India will not miss Virat Kohli as a batter in the upcoming five-match England tour, scheduled to start on June 20 at Headingley, Leeds.

Though the Indian team, led by Shubman Gill, doesn’t miss Kohli, who averages 33 in England, Vaughan feels Team India will surely miss the Indian talismanic batter in terms of the energy and aggression he brings to the field.

"Kohli is a legend and a culture creator around this Indian team, and what he brought as a captain to the team is still there in terms of the energy and the drive and the aggression. But he only averaged 33 here in the UK. You don’t massively miss someone that averages 33, but you miss someone that brings so much to the dressing room," Vaughan told Fox Cricket.

“These players that are going to come in and play for India, they’re seriously good players. Maybe this new generation has been waiting. Maybe they’ve been waiting for this moment. Don’t be surprised that they play really well," he added.

Notably, Virat played on three different tours in England, scoring 1096 runs from 17 Tests at an average of 33.21, with the highest score being 134 runs on his first tour to England in 2014. He had another memorable tour later in 2018.

Furthermore, England captain Ben Stokes has also highlighted that the Indian team will miss the fighting spirit that Virat Kohli brings to the field along with him. Moreover, he added that it would be a bit weird not to see No. 18 on the back of anyone on any Indian shirt.

“I think what India will miss will be his fighting spirit out in the game, his competitiveness, desire to win. He has made number 18 his, hasn’t he? It’ll be a bit weird not seeing number 18 on the back of anyone… of any Indian shirt, but he has been class for them for a long period of time," Ben Stokes told ECB in a video shared by their official X handle.

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