Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra feels that star batsmen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are not having the best tournament by his standards. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are the first Indian players in the tournament.
Despite having Yashasvi Jaiswal as the right opener in the team, 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 scored 66 runs in the same no. of matches with an average of 13.20 and a strike rate of 108.19.
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Aakash Chopra criticizes 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 by their standards. However, Chopra also added that his form seems good after the last match against Bangladesh.
“The form of the captain and our other opener, Virat Kohli, now looks good. The ball has started hitting the middle of the bat, although if we look at it by their standards, it has been a very cold World Cup for both of them. So I hope they play a little longer shots,” Chopra said.
The former India opener also shared some golden advice for India batsman and wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Pant has been one of India’s few bright spots 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 match against Bangladesh, Pant looked good until he started batting. But trying to keep up the scoring pace, the left-hander attempted a reverse sweep off pitcher Rishad Hossain and gave a simple catch to the outfielder at short third. He was dismissed for a 24-ball-36.
In the match before the Bangladesh match, Pant attempted an audacious reverse sweep against Afghan player Rashid Khan. He was hit in the back leg and trapped in the front leg. The left-hander was not in a position to execute that shot as he was dismissed for an 11-ball-20.
“Rishabh Pant looks 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 said in the video.
Despite some soft dismissals, Rishabh Pant is currently India’s leading run-scorer in this tournament. He scored a crucial 42 points against Pakistan in the group stage, while he also scored a vital 36 points in the previous match against Bangladesh.
India will play their final Super 8 match against Australia on June 24 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia. While it is a do-or-die game for Australia, India will try to seal a place in the semi-finals with an outright victory.