"When Virat Kohli comes now, it seems like he can be dismissed without any issues" - Aakash Chopra on Kohli's struggles vs New Zealand and Bangladesh
Aakash Chopra has noted that Virat Kohli has endured dismal returns this year, especially in India's last two Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand. He pointed out that opposing teams no longer seem to consider him impregnable when he walks out to bat.
Kohli aggregated 93 runs at a paltry average of 15.50 in six innings in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand. The former India captain managed 99 runs at an underwhelming average of 33.00 in four innings in the previous series against Bangladesh.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener observed that Kohli no longer seems to have the aura of invincibility around him.
"Kohli also has just one fifty in 10 innings. If you see other than that, you will find that he left a lot to be desired. In fact, you can see his entire year. He didn't play the England series. I thought that was a big miss. The last five years' story is not good and the last 10 innings are not good at all," he said (2:50).
"Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar or Sir Vivian Richards, these players have an aura, that once they come to bat, they would dictate. That sort of aura used to be there when Virat Kohli used to come. When Virat Kohli comes now, it seems like he can be dismissed without any issues. I am not saying that. You can see that from the opposing team's body language," Chopra added.
Kohli has aggregated 250 runs at an average of 22.72 in 12 Test innings this year. The 70-run knock in India's second innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru is the only time he has reached the 50-run mark.
"The error of judgment is happening repeatedly" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's dismissals
![Virat Kohli was run out while attempting a non-existent run in India's first innings of the third Test against New Zealand. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/11/52201-17307914095987-1920.jpg?w=500)
In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Virat Kohli has committed numerous judgment errors lately.
"The error of judgment is happening repeatedly. Sometimes a full toss is missed and you take a run after hitting straight to the fielder on another occasion. Sometimes you don't know that you got an inside edge, and even the outside edge. You don't take the DRS once and take the second time, and both were wrong," he said (3:55).
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that apart from the match-winning knock in the 2024 T20 World Cup final, the modern batting great has endured a horror year.
"This year, even if you see the T20 World Cup, he was outstanding in the final, he is God's child, but he didn't score runs apart from that, and that is a reality. He didn't score runs on the Sri Lanka tour. So the heart beats fast if you see Kohli's 2024," Chopra observed.
Chopra noted that he never thought that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's careers would have such a drastic slide. He added that he could have expected it for Steve Smith as he depends on eye-hand coordination but not for Rohit and Kohli since their techniques are not unorthodox.