"The fire is burning and it is working as fuel for it" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's dismissal in 3rd India vs England T20I
Aakash Chopra has pointed out that Virat Kohli's continued lean run with the bat is adding fuel to the already existing fire.
Kohli scored 11 runs off six deliveries in the third T20I against England at Nottingham on Sunday, July 10. Team India, who were chasing a 216-run target, went on to lose the match by 17 runs.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra reflected on some of the Indian batters' performances in the third T20I. Regarding Kohli, he said:
"Kohli came out with a lot of intent, that he is going to hit fours and sixes. He hit a four and a six as well but after that, he scored 11 runs in six balls and got out. The fire is burning and it is working as fuel for it."
The former Indian cricketer feels Kohli needs to play as regularly as possible to regain his lost touch. Aakash Chopra observed:
"Every time he gets out a bigger discussion starts, about what needs to be done now, whether it is right to play Kohli or not. In my opinion, he should play all three ODIs against West Indies, he should play cricket daily, try to score runs daily."
Skipper Rohit Sharma comes in Virat Kohli’s defence 🤝🇮🇳
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Kohli managed just 12 runs in his two innings in the T20I series against England. The upcoming ODI series against the same opponents might be his best chance to spend time in the middle and play a few substantial knocks.
"You were expecting a strong start" - Aakash Chopra on Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma's early dismissals
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Rishabh Pant and Rohit Sharma also failed to give Team India a bright start in the third T20I, elaborating:
"You were expecting a strong start but that did not happen because Reece Topley dismissed Pant at the start. Rohit - a slightly slower ball, he couldn't read it - played the shot slightly away from the body and a fielder was there in the deep and was out caught."
The cricketer-turned-analyst concluded by predicting a gloomy future for Shreyas Iyer in international cricket. Aakash Chopra explained:
"Shreyas Iyer, 28 runs off 23 balls. It is a question because he will get stuck against the short ball in Tests and ODIs, there is a question mark over his strike rate in T20s at the moment. Shreyas Iyer, the international cricketer with great numbers - it seems it is going to be a problem."
Iyer played second fiddle to Suryakumar Yadav during their 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket. He edged a catch to Jos Buttler behind the stumps while trying to steer a short-of-a-length delivery from Reece Topley to third man.