Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra is impressed with Virat Kohli’s renewed and aggressive batting style in the shorter format of the game. However, Aakash Chopra stated that Virat Kohli needs to consider the batting approach that best suits the team’s benefit.
Virat Kohli exhibited good form in the second T20I against Afghanistan, despite his extended absence from the format. The right-handed batter scored 29 runs from 16 deliveries, featuring five boundaries, in India’s six-wicket victory in Indore on Sunday, January 14.
The 35-year-old batter came to the crease when the score was 5/1 in the first over and swiftly increased the scoring rate with boundaries. Kohli formed a 57-run partnership with the young opener, Yashasvi Jaiswal, guiding India to a formidable 62/2 in the run chase.
He Did Something Like This Before The Last T20 World Cup – Aakash Chopra
Speaking on Jio Cinema, Aakash Chopra cautioned Virat Kohli against adopting an overly aggressive batting style. He emphasized the importance of determining the most suitable batting approach aligned with the team’s benefit.
“I think he did something like this before the last T20 World Cup. He tried to hit from the word go. See, he is capable of doing it. If Virat Kohli decides that he wants to be aggressive from the word go, if he wants to show that kind of intent, he will do it. No doubt about it,” Aakash Chopra told Jio Cinema.
“But you have to think about what avatar of Virat Kohli is best suited for the team. You have to figure that out. Going after every delivery — that approach will neither suit Virat nor Rohit, I will be very honest,” he added.
Virat Kohli struggled against the spin bowlers in the recent matches in the short format of the game. Nevertheless, he took on spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman during the match. Kohli scored 18 runs from just 7 balls against Mujeeb Ur Rahman in a chase of 173 runs.
Virat Kohli Needs To Be The Anchor – Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra acknowledged the importance of having an anchor like Virat Kohli in the team, especially considering the challenging pitches in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
“When you are talking about the West Indies and the USA, the pitches there are likely to be in the range of 150-160. They are not going to be 200-220 pitches. If that is going to be the case, then Virat Kohli needs to be the anchor. He needs to take the game deep and hold the innings together. His approach will give freedom to the rest of the players. I think his role in T20s is going to be the same,” Chopra further added.
Virat Kohli boasts a remarkable T20I record, amassing over 4,000 runs with an average of 52 and a strike rate of 138. In the T20 World Cup 2022, the batter emerged as the leading run-scorer, scoring 296 runs in six matches at an impressive average of 98.67.
Also read: IND vs AFG: Virat Kohli’s Fan Detained for Hugging And Touching His Feet In The 2nd T20I
