"The captain and our other opener's World Cup has been cold by standards"- Virat Kohli and Rohit destroyed in latest rant
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra reckons that star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not having the best tournament according to their standards. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are India's openers in the tournament.
Despite having Yashasvi Jaiswal as the proper opener in the squad, India opted for the experienced duo of Rohit and Kohli to give the team a good start.
Rohit Sharma has scored 99 runs in five matches so far at an average of 24.75 and a strike rate of 125.31. On the other hand, Virat Kohli has scored 66 runs in the same no. of matches at an average of 13.20 and a strike rate of 108.19.
Also read: Virat Kohli labeled equivalent to the God of Cricket by this West Indian legend
Aakash Chopra slams Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
While speaking in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra opined that the current World Cup has been very cold for Rohit and Kohli according to their standards. However, Chopra also added that their form looks good after the last game against Bangladesh.
"The captain and our other opener Virat Kohli's form looks good now. The ball has started hitting the middle of the bat, although if we look at it based on their standards, it's been a very cold World Cup for both of them. So I am expecting them to play slightly longer knocks," Chopra said.
The former India opener also shared a golden advice for India's wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant. Pant has been one of the few bright spots for India in the batting department. But his shot selection has been under the scanner.
Aakash Chopra's golden advice for Rishabh Pant against Adam Zampa
In the last game against Bangladesh, Pant looked good until he was batting. But in trying to keep up with the scoring rate, the left-hander tried a reverse sweep off legspinner Rishad Hossain and gave a simple catch to the fielder at short third. He was dismissed for a 24-ball-36.
In the game before the one against Bangladesh, Pant tried an audacious reverse sweep off Afghanistan legspinner Rashid Khan. He was struck on the back leg and was trapped in front. The left-hander was in no position to play that shot as he was dismissed for an 11-ball-20.
"Rishabh Pant is looking good. Don't play the reverse sweep and definitely not against Zampa. It won't make a difference if we leave one or two balls. Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube now look in good form. So those things are looking very, very good," Chopra further said in the video.
Despite some soft dismissals, Rishabh Pant is currently India's highest run-scorer this tournament. He scored a crucial 42 against Pakistan in the group stage while he also scored a vital 36 in the previous game against Bangladesh.
India will play its last Super 8 match against Australia on June 24 at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St. Lucia. While it is a do-or-die game for Australia, India will be aiming to seal a semi-final berth an outright win.
