Former India opener Aakash Chopra said the conversation around Virat Kohli's form is no longer about the wait for his 71st century in international cricket but about his extended lean patch across all formats of the game. Chopra said the narrative has reached a concerning situation for India, especially in the lead up to the T20 World Cup, starting October 16 in Australia.
Aakash Chopra said it's becoming more and more evident that Virat Kohli is no longer the player that he was 3 years ago, adding that the 'aura of invincibility' has gone and the bowlers are no longer fearing the former India captain's presence in the middle.
Virat Kohli has been going through an extended lean patch in international cricket. Kohli has scored 175 runs in 8 ODIs in 2022 and 220 runs at 31.42 in 4 Tests and just 81 runs in 4 T20Is in the World Cup year. The former captain was expected to regain form when he toured England after a brief back following IPL 2022. However, Kohli struggled to get going in Old Blighty, failing in the rescheduled Test and the 4 limited-overs matches.
With his place in the T20I side under scrutiny, Kohli decided to opt out of the tour of the West Indies and Zimbabwe. However, the selection committee and the team management has shown faith in him, picking him for Asia Cup 2022, starting August 27.
"There's no doubt in anyone's mind about Virat Kohli's class and his skills, and even if he doesn't score another run in international cricket from here on, he will still be regarded as one of the greatest to have played the game. A man who did superhuman things and mastered all three formats like almost no others," Aakash Chopra wrote in his colum for ESPNCricinfo.
"Still, there's also no hiding from the fact that the bat that worked like a magic wand isn't obeying his commands anymore. There are more misses than hits. The aura of invincibility has faded and his presence doesn't instil the same fear in bowlers' minds as it used to earlier," he added.
Shedding light on his thoughts on Virat Kohli's lean patch, Chopra pointed out 2 areas of concern which he believes is not helping the former captain hit peak form.
BREAKS TO REGAIN FORM?
While addressing that cricketers are open to taking more breaks than before due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, Chopra said he is not entirely convinced about Kohli taking breaks in a bid to regain form. Kohli has played only 4 out of India's 21 T20I assignments in the World Cup year despite struggling to put bat to ball in the shortest format of the game. "For the longest time, the only way to get back into form for a top player was to play as much cricket as possible, even if it meant playing at a slightly lower level. Everyone went through that drill till about a decade ago. But nowadays, poor form is followed by breaks from the game. "I'm not an expert and won't pretend to be one but we really don't know whether that's the best approach towards regaining form and/or confidence. Times have changed and ways of dealing with issues like this might have changed too," Chopra added. Furthermore, Chopra said he believes Kohli is trying way too many things at the start of his innings, moving away from his tried-and-tested method. "The second thing that changed with Kohli - and it only happened after he had not scored enough for a while - was his approach to starting new innings. The foundation of Kohli's batting was an absolute commitment to his method, in a manner that was almost robotic. "But in the last couple of years he seems to have tried various approaches. So much so that you hardly remember what his foolproof old method was. He has gone very hard and he has gone very cautious too. I'm not saying that he has not followed his tried-and-tested method at all but that the deviations from that method have been too frequent," he added. Chopra, however, said he hopes the break helps Kohli return to his best at the Asia Cup. Kohli will be under considerable pressure as he is all set to make his competitive return in a high-octane clash against arch-rivals Pakistan in Dubai on August 28. "Kohli has paid a huge price for his own success, which has included not only others judging him by the lofty standards that he set but also Kohli himself trying to replicate the player he was three years ago. You have almost been able to touch and feel his struggle, and there isn't a cricket lover who hasn't wished for it to end. "Sport should be a source of joy, not agony, for player and viewer alike. We hope that the break he has taken does the trick and the bat becomes his wand again," he added.--- ENDS ---
Source
https://www.globalcourant.com/virat-kohlis-presence-doesnt-instill-fear-in-bowlers-minds-anymore-aakash-chopra/?feed_id=15027&_unique_id=6305b8e5908d2
