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The India National Cricket Team is currently playing against the Sri Lanka National Cricket Team in a two-match Test series. They have been leading the series 0-1, and the second Test match began on Sunday, August 23. Amidst this, former opener Aakash Chopra has shared his views about fake news that has been circulating about Virat Kohli and Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Virat Kohli currently plays only in the ODI format and recently represented the side in the three-match ODI series in England. After that, he will be in the squad for the West Indies series in September. While Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been out of the India national team setup, has been performing well in the domestic and IPL formats; however, he is not able to make a comeback.
Virat Kohli backs Bhuvneshwar Kumar for 2027 World Cup selection? Aakash Chopra debunks fake news
While speaking on his X(formerly Twitter), Aakash Chopra shed light on the news of Virat Kohli backing Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the ICC World Cup 2027 in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Clarifying the news, Chopra read out the fake news that Virat has backed Bhuvi for his ability to swing and seam, and he should be in the ODI World Cup team.
Aakash Chopra said, "What did Virat Kohli say about Bhuvneshwar Kumar? He said that Bhuvneshwar Kumar does not come around very often. His ability to swing and seam is amazing. He should definitely be in the World Cup team in 2027. That's what Virat Kohli said. After that, I saw another post below that. It clearly stated that Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been selected for the ODI team."
The fake news, as read by Aakash Chopra, stated that every fan should congratulate Bhuvi for his comeback and also credited the BCCI. However, while fact-checking, Aakash Chopra found it to be fake, as Virat did not say anything like that in any news.
"So everyone should congratulate him. And after that, people started congratulating him. They said that he has done a great job. BCCI, well done. Congratulations. And there are a lot of compliments."
He further added, "Again, it is believable that this can happen. And this is also our confirmation bias because a lot of people want Bhuvi's name to come up. But did we lie? DRS. Neither did Virat Kohli say this, nor has any team been selected."
"You want Bhuvneshwar Kumar to be in the team. But neither did Virat Kohli say anything about him, nor has he been selected. So this news is also fake news. In the DRS of lies, you have once again been declared out. You have been completely obstructed in front of the stumps."
Reality check on Bhuvneshwar Kumar's ODI comeback
Despite performances in the IPL and domestic format, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been past 30s. He is currently 36, and by the time the next World Cup comes, he will turn 37. Though in reality Virat will be 39 in the next major tournament, for a batter to remain injury-free is easier than for a pacer.
There is less chance that Bhuvi might make a comeback in the 50-over format, as the Men's selection committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have shifted the focus to young players like Gurnoor Brar, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana and Prince Yadav. They have come into contention to feature as an extra pacer in the side.
Virat Kohli's 2027 World Cup participation all but confirmed
Virat Kohli has been in sensational form in the ODI format, as he was the leading run-getter in the South Africa and the New Zealand series for the Men in Blue, and he did not feature in the series against Afghanistan citing a hamstring injury.
Virat came back in the squad in the England series and scored two back-to-back fifties in the series: a 65-ball 65 in the 2nd ODI at Cardiff and a 74-run knock in the 3rd ODI at Lord's. He will be featuring in the ODI series against the West Indies starting from late September.
