“To win a battle, you have to fight it” - Aakash Chopra not in favor of Virat Kohli taking a break
Aakash Chopra has disagreed with suggestions that Virat Kohli needs a break from cricket to refresh himself and come back with renewed energy. The cricketer-turned-analyst countered the argument and claimed that the former Indian captain can overcome his poor form only by playing and fighting it out in the middle.
Kohli, 33, has been going through a prolonged lean spell in his career. He hasn’t scored an international century since November 2019. His performances have been below par in the ongoing IPL 2022 as well.
In nine matches for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), he has managed only 128 runs at an average of 16 and a strike rate of 119.63. The star batter was also dismissed for golden ducks in two successive matches against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), respectively.
Following his struggles, questions are being asked about whether the star batter must take a break from the game. Responding to a similar query, Chopra opined on his YouTube channel:
“Difficult question. Everyone is coming up with their own theory. It’s not like Virat hasn’t been getting any rest. Obviously, he’s not gone away from the game for three to four months, but he has skipped various matches across formats in recent times. If he stops playing, how will he score runs? To win a battle, you have to fight it out in the middle. You have to fall, rise and run again. There was a six-month COVID break. Did anything change? I personally feel that he must keep playing.”
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Having struggled for fluency at the No. 3 position, Kohli was pushed up to open in RCB’s previous match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR). However, his lackluster run continued as he was dismissed for just nine off 10 balls.
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Sharing his views on the former Indian skipper’s poor form, former Team India coach Ravi Shastri admitted that Kohli needs a break to get back in rhythm. Speaking on Star Sports, he said:
“I am going straight to the main guy here. Virat Kohli is overcooked. If anyone needs a break, it’s him. Whether it’s two months or a month-and-a-half, whether it’s after England or before England. He needs a break because he has got six to seven years of cricket left in him and you don’t want to lose that with a fried brain.”
Kohli’s next chance to make an impression with the bat in IPL 2022 will come on Saturday, April 30, when RCB face table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Also Read: “It’s like putting names in a jar and picking out one” - Aakash Chopra on uncertainty over LSG’s No. 4 batter in IPL 2022