‘You are always scared when Virat Kohli is at the crease’ – Aakash Chopra on India batter’s optimal role in T20 World Cup 2024

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has opened up about the impact Virat Kohli could make in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 which is slated to be played later this year in the West Indies and the United States of America. Notably, Kohli made a comeback to India’s T20I setup during the second game against Afghanistan at Holkar Stadium in Indore, having last played in the game’s shortest format during the 2022 edition of the T20 World Cup. During the Indore T20I, Kohli struck 29 off 16 deliveries at a strike rate of 181.25, featuring five boundaries.

Fascinatingly enough, Aakash Chopra compared ‘King Kohli’ to a lion in a jungle as he believed the former India captain would be a major threat to the opposing teams in the marquee event. The 46-year-old also mentioned Kohli’s career strike rate which is around 138. Moreover, he also pointed out a special virtue of the star batter by reminding fans of the epic India-Pakistan game in the last edition of the T20 World Cup. Chopra believes that Kohli can switch gears anytime needed and can play according to the match situation.

“Kohli has all types of gears. He can play fast or slow. He can play at a run-a-ball as well. Kohli is at his best when he stays for a long time. You feel scared going into a jungle because a lion is there. It’s not mandatory that the lion will eat you whenever you enter a jungle but the knowledge of the lion being there scares you. Virat Kohli is that lion. You (opposing teams) are always scared when Virat Kohli is at the crease,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

You expect Virat Kohli to stand there and accelerate later: Aakash Chopra

Besides, Aakash Chopra believes that the T20 World Cup 2024 games will not be high-scoring ones. He further mentioned about the 35-year-old’s knock against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2022 T20 World Cup and stated that he should adopt a similar approach in the upcoming edition. 

“The lion needs to be there on the pitch, especially on those pitches where totals will be between 160 and 180. 220 won’t be stored there. So you expect Virat Kohli to stand there and accelerate later. The knock which was called the innings of the century, the Pakistan one, there also you will find that he was going at slightly higher than a run-a-ball. He accelerated in the end and won India the game. If Virat goes ultra-aggressive, consistency could be a casualty, and that’s not what you want,” Chopra further said.