‘We are not even talking about Kohli, that must be hurting him’ – Aakash Chopra

Indian stalwart, Virat Kohli, failed to contribute with the bat as he registered yet another below-par performance in India’s first T20I against the West Indies. It now appears to be worrying former Indian Cricketer, Aakash Chopra.

Coming in to bat at 3 for India, Kohli scored 17 off 13 balls before being dismissed by left-arm orthodox spinner Fabien Allen. Chopra said that the way Kohli has been giving away his wicket is concerning. He further added that Virat Kohli is not getting the limelight he used to get which will be hurting him.

“Virat Kohli did not score runs again and the way he is getting out, that’s very unlike him. We are doing very little conversation about Virat Kohli, which is never a good thing. We are not even talking about him, that is hurting me, that must be hurting him.” Said Chopra on his YouTube channel

“A good player’s recognizance is that his name is written with prominence in any report card, it is his story even on the day when he fails because 40 for Kohli is a failure, 40 for Aakash is a success.” He added

The former Indian skipper came onto the crease at the fall of Rohit Sharma’s wicket who had given India the perfect start. Kohli, however, could not continue the momentum and got dismissed against the run of play.

Chopra feels that it was his discipline that was setting Kohli apart from others. He insinuated the shot he got out to was unnecessary in the context of the game and could well have been avoided.

“The way Kohli got out, discipline was making him the greatest batter on the planet, what would have happened if that shot had gone for a six? Nothing would have happened, you wouldn’t have won the match because of that six. But when you get out, the team is also stuck slightly.”

The right-hander was looking comfortable at the crease before trying to enforce himself by attempting to clear the fence for a six. At his best, Kohli had mastered the art of pacing his innings and knew when to take the larger risks. The former Indian opener also had a take on the same.

“Virat Kohli never used to do like this earlier, that if a six is not required, he never used to hit it and scored through singles or fours. He was risk-averse, that he will not play the risky shots at all. That is what Virat was all about but now he is not playing like that and that is a bit of a concern.” Chopra concluded in his post-match review

India would be hoping for Kohli to find his touch and get back to run-scoring form in the second T20 to be played on Friday.