Aakash Chopra fires the shots on Virat Kohli and his Test cricket future

The 2024-25 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy proved to be a challenging one for Virat Kohli. Despite a solid century in the second innings of the series opener in Perth, Kohli struggled to make an impact with the bat for the remainder of the series. His inconsistency was evident, with a recurring issue of chasing deliveries outside the off-stump—resulting in eight dismissals to the same weakness across the five-match series. This pattern of nicks behind the wicket frustrated both the player and his supporters, as Kohli failed to address this flaw in his game.

Former cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra weighed in on Kohli's recent form, aligning with Irfan Pathan's observations about the batter's decline in Test cricket. Chopra agreed with Pathan’s analysis of Kohli’s batting average over the past five years, which has seen a noticeable dip. While Kohli’s contributions to Indian cricket have been monumental, his struggles in recent Test series—particularly with the technical flaw outside the off-stump—have raised questions about his approach. Chopra pointed out that while Kohli’s talent remains unquestionable, the consistency he once enjoyed in Test cricket seems to be missing. This period of turbulence could prompt introspection and potential changes to his technique to get back to his best.

"Unfortunately, the numbers of the last five years are saying that whoever is talking is not about propaganda or agenda. You can see home or away, the numbers are saying that things aren't looking good. Irfan (Pathan) said that if Virat Kohli hasn't scored runs for five years, play a kid as he too would score runs at an average of 25," shared Aakash Chopra in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

The former Indian cricketer emphasized that the selectors need to make a decision regarding Virat Kohli's place in the team sooner rather than later, rather than waiting for the upcoming five-match series against England. The prolonged slump in Kohli’s form has raised concerns about his place in the side, and it is time for the selectors to take decisive action. Since the start of 2020, Kohli has managed just 2028 runs at an average of 30.72 in 69 innings, a significant drop from his peak.

This sharp decline in his performance contrasts starkly with his career-high Test average of 55.10, which he achieved during a historic series against South Africa. In that series, Kohli also scored his highest Test score of 254*, a feat that highlighted his once-dominant form. The dip in his numbers over the past few years has been concerning, and with his technical issues, particularly against deliveries outside the off-stump, it raises the question of whether he can regain his best form or if a change is needed. The selectors, according to the former cricketer, should not delay their decision any longer, especially with the crucial future tours on the horizon.

"What you want to do is your choice but the selection is the selectors' job. Since you are going to the next WTC (World Test Championship) cycle, you haven't qualified for the final, and neither he nor Rohit has scored runs, the team is going through a transition and things are looking quite shaky. The ball is in the selectors' court. They have to decide now because if you think about what will happen till England, there won't be any Test cricket in between," added Chopra.