IND vs ENG: "This Was A Great Opportunity" - Aakash Chopra On Virat Kohli Being Likely To Miss The 1st India vs England ODI
Published - 12 Jul 2022, 02:42 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:10 AM
If Virat Kohli skips the opening One-Day International between Team India and England, according to Aakash Chopra, he would miss a significant chance.
The Oval will host the opening encounter of the three-match ODI series on Tuesday, July 12. According to reports, Kohli might not play because of a groyne injury he got in the last T20I between the two teams.
Aakash Chopra Feels Virat Kohli Missed A Fantastic Opportunity
Aakash Chopra noted that the ODIs against England were a fantastic opportunity for Kohli to restore his form when previewing the match in a video on his YouTube channel, saying:
“The big news is that Virat Kohli will probably not be available for this match, he has not reached the Oval ground, and he might not play. Is it a big miss? I am not thinking from the team’s perspective but for Kohli. Personally, I was feeling this was a great opportunity.”
The former Indian opener emphasised that Kohli would have thrived in the ODI format. Aakash Chopra explained:
“This format was perhaps the best chance to get back into form because you can play a long innings. No one tries to get you out after the first few overs, you keep driving the game at 5.5-6 runs per over and no one bothers.”
He added: “There are slips in Tests, you are asked very tough questions. There is scoreboard pressure and the team’s tempo’s pressure in T20s, there is nothing in ODIs.”
With 12311 runs and a stellar average of 58.07 in ODI cricket, Kohli has a stellar record. The former Indian captain’s biggest chance to find his run-scoring form will likely come in the 50-over match.
This Is Going To Be A Very Important Series For Shreyas Iyer: Aakash Chopra
The ODI series, according to Aakash Chopra, would be highly important for Shreyas Iyer as well. He reasoned:
“Secondly, I feel this is going to be a very important series for Shreyas Iyer because his situation is looking slightly tumultuous to me. If you had asked 12 months back, it seemed he was your perfect No. 4, but that is not the case now, things have changed.”
Rishabh Pant must also duplicate his Test performances in limited-overs cricket, the renowned pundit noted in his conclusion. Aakash Chopra stated:
“After that, it is important for Rishabh Pant to nail the ODI format. He plays Test cricket extremely well but he is still figuring out white-ball cricket.”
In the game’s longest format, Pant has become one of Team India’s biggest match-winners. He hasn’t yet lived up to his promise in white-ball cricket, so he’ll be hoping to improve during the ODI series against England.
