During the next Asia Cup in the UAE, Indian star Virat Kohli will return to action after a lengthy absence. The 33-year-old former captain of India has been struggling lately. Both the current ODI series against Zimbabwe and the upcoming white-ball series in the West Indies saw Kohli take a break. Aakash Chopra, a former Indian batter who is unsure of his position in the team, believes that while Kohli is a fantastic hitter, he needs to produce runs, particularly with the T20 World Cup taking place in Australia later this year.
“As far as his (Virat Kohli) place in the Indian team in concerned, that question does not arise as of now. But there is no hiding from the fact that he needs to score runs. He has not played that much international cricket since the T20 World Cup last year. He has played just four T20Is since then,” Chopra said. Chopra also said that the Asia Cup could be a make-or-break tournament for Kohli.
“He is a phenomenal player, perhaps one of the best the world has ever seen, but there comes a point where runs, contributions, and role play come into the picture. If you’re batting at no. 3 for India, it doesn’t matter who it is, you have to score runs. If you’re talking about team philosophy, with that perspective and the keeping the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind, this Asia Cup after long break will be crucial for Virat Kohli,” he added. Kohli was rested for the white-ball series in West Indies, as well as the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe.
