Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes the silence around Virat Kohli must be hurting the celebrated cricketer as he continues to struggle with poor form. Kohli managed 17 runs in the 1st T20I against West Indies at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
“If you stop talking about it, he will be fine,” this was Rohit Sharma’s exact words ahead of the T20I series against West Indies. Aakash Chopra believes the silence around Kohli’s form is not doing any good to the talismanic run-scorer.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the 44-year-old reckoned:
“Virat Kohli did not score runs again and the way he is getting out, that’s very unlike him. We are doing very little conversation about Virat Kohli, which is never a good thing. We are not even talking about him, that is hurting me, that must be hurting him.”
He added:
“A good player’s recognizance is that his name is written with prominence in any report card, it is his story even on the day when he fails because 40 for Kohli is a failure, 40 for Aakash is a success.”
Meanwhile, since the start of 2020, Virat Kohli has averaged less than 50 in T20Is (49.50), less than 40 in ODIs (39) and quite surprisingly, less than 30 in Tests (28.14).
“That is a bit concern” – Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli’s struggling form
52,58,50 avg's btw 💁🏻♂️🐐 #INDvWI
— Riyan Paragg (@ParagRiyan) February 16, 2022
Analysing Virat Kohli’s work over the years, Aakash Chopra said that it was ‘discipline’ that made Kohli the best batter in the world.
“The way Kohli got out, discipline was making him the greatest batter on the planet, what would have happened if that shot had gone for a six? Nothing would have happened, you wouldn’t have won the match because of that six. But when you get out, the team is also stuck slightly,” Aakash Chopra added.
“Virat Kohli never used to do like this earlier, that if a six is not required, he never used to hit it and scored through singles or fours. He was risk-averse, that he will not play the risky shots at all. That is what Virat was all about but now he is not playing like that and that is a bit of a concern,” he explained.