"It's just the right time for Virat Kohli to get his 71st hundred" - Aakash Chopra ahead of 2nd IND vs SL 2022 Test
Former Indian opener and cricket expert Aakash Chopra has tipped former Indian captain Virat Kohli to finally break the jinx and reach his 71st international hundred against Sri Lanka in the pink ball Test in Bengaluru.
Kohli last scored a hundred against Bangladesh in the pink ball Test back in November 2019 and fans have been eagerly waiting for the star batter to reach the milestone.
The 33-year-old plays for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL, so playing in Bengaluru will surely give him a lot of confidence, according to Aakash Chopra. With a full-capacity crowd set to be present in the stadium, the 44-year-old reckons it is the perfect time for Kohli to get back to scoring hundreds.
In a video on his YouTube channel, here's what Aakash Chopra had to say about the champion Indian batter:
"The crowd is going to come in huge numbers and this is Kohli's adopted home. So maybe it's just the right time (to get the 71st hundred). His last hundred had come in the Day-Night Test match against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens."
Chopra also shed light on how Kohli's average has gradually fallen over the past couple of years. He added:
"Kohli is scoring runs but is failing to get the hundreds. And when that happens, the average starts to drop off. That is exactly what is happening with him for the last couple of years."
. Can't wait for tomorrow 
Back to Bengaluru ❤️. Can't wait for tomorrow 🇮🇳 https://t.co/hzBVKUe6MC
"Shreyas Iyer will need to understand that opportunities are limited"- Aakash Chopra
Shreyas Iyer had a fantastic start to his Test career, scoring a hundred and a fifty on debut against New Zealand. With Ajinkya Rahane dropped from the side, Iyer is tipped to be his replacement.
However, the 27-year-old hasn't quite been able to make the most of his chances in the past few innings. In the first Test, Rishabh Pant was promoted to No.5 and the southpaw played a sensational counter-attacking knock of 96. On this, Aakash Chopra stated:
"Shreyas Iyer missed out in the previous game. He will need to understand that the opportunities are limited. Rishabh Pant is promoted to No.5 and you have come down to No.6."
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At No.7, Ravindra Jadeja broke records to score a massive 175*. Aakash Chopra feels Iyer will need to contribute with a big score as he believes there are other batters waiting in the wings to get an opportunity. He added:
"If Rishabh scores runs then it's possible that everyone starts thinking that make him permanent No.5. And if the player after you scores 175 runs then there will be questions asked as to what you have done."
Sri Lanka will need to play some extremely good cricket to give this formidable Indian team a hard time in their own backyard.