Aakash Chopra raises alarm on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s form ahead of India vs New Zealand Tests

As India prepares to face New Zealand in a three-match Test series at home, Aakash Chopra questioned the form and readiness of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Both the senior players failed to deliver in the recent two-match Test series against Bangladesh, and now they find themselves under pressure to deliver against New Zealand ahead of the crucial Australia tour.

The first Test of the three-match India versus New Zealand Test series is set to kick off on October 16 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, with the remaining two Tests set to take place in Pune and Mumbai. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to rediscover their dominating form with the bat

Aakash Chopra doubts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s readiness before New Zealand Tests

Ahead of first India vs New Zealand Test in Bengaluru, the former Indian batter Aakash Chopra has claimed that the pressure is mounting on India's batting icons, Kohli and Rohit, as their performance against Bangladesh fell short of the high expectations they've set over the years.

Kohli, despite scoring some runs in his last inning, struggled to regain his trademark flow and rhythm. The dashing right-hander managed only 23 runs across two innings in the first Test against Bangladesh in Chennai. Rohit then played a 47-run knock in the first innings and 29* in the second innings in the second Test against the Tigers in Kanpur.

On the other hand, Rohit has also faced challenges, failing to find his groove. The Indian captain scored 11 runs in the first Test and 31 runs in the second Test during India’s 2-0 win over Bangladesh in the home series.

Well, the New Zealand series holds greater significance as it leads up to the coveted Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, where India will need their senior players at their best.

Is there slight pressure on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?

The cricket pandit questioned whether Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be under pressure in the upcoming Test series against New Zealand. Chopra also noted that Kohli was not seen in his flow against Bangladesh in the recent T20I series.

Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel: “Is there slight pressure on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli because the last Test series was extremely ordinary according to their standards? The next Test series is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, so you want to score runs and move forward. Although Virat Kohli scored runs in the last inning, when we talk about the Kanpur Test, the flow wasn't seen. The dominance, silken touch, and rhythm you expect from Virat Kohli wasn't seen.”

Since Kohli and Rohit both have retired from T20I cricket, they get limited opportunities to maintain their rhythm, and Chopra believes that a lengthy gap in the action might be affecting their sharpness.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's own standards are very high: Aakash Chopra

Chopra signed off by saying, “Generally, you come after playing consistently; play T20s in the middle, so the rhythm is maintained. You have left T20s. You played only ODI cricket in Sri Lanka. That was in August first week, and after that, nothing in August and the entire September, and now October, and a lot of runs have not been scored.

I am not saying there is any pressure. However, the pressure you put on yourself is there; he needs to score runs if he is playing, and his own standards are very high. The same goes for Rohit Sharma. The last series was not good, and for some strange reason, his record against Bangladesh is not good.”