Since the back-to-back ducks in the ODIs against Australia, Virat Kohli has staged a remarkable turnaround, re-establishing himself as one of India’s most consistent performers. However, it has been over two months since the 37-year-old has played a professional game and when there’s a long break, one tends to feel rusty.
His long-term national team comrade, on the other hand, has been very active in Mumbai cricket, training regularly and has lost significant weight with the hope to continue till the ODI World Cup 2027. He has put in plenty of work in the nets but playing a match needs extra determination, which will be tested in the upcoming IPL. The five-time IPL-winning captain hasn’t quite found his feet in the last few editions of the cash-rich tournament and this is the perfect opportunity for him to prove a point.
Kohli and Rohit’s former captain, MS Dhoni, on the other hand, plays only two months of cricket. However, this could very well be his last year in the sport as Chennai Super Kings have finally managed to bring his successor in Sanju Samson. With the bat, there aren’t plenty of expectations from Dhoni but he is still the face of the franchise, who is seen as someone who can help CSK win the sixth IPL title.
Aakash Chopra bets on Virat Kohli
With that, the question arises: who will have a better IPL among these three veterans? Analysing that, former cricketer Aakash Chopra noted that Kohli could just top the other two, because of his form and fitness.
“The focus will be on Virat Kohli again because the guy is so fit. Yes, there are gaps between series and he felt the pinch of those gaps in Australia, but once he started scoring runs, he found a way to be super consistent for months. So, the kind of fitness that he has achieved over a period of time makes him the best suited, also because he is an opener. So, he has more time to work himself into form,” Chopra said on JioStar’s ‘IPL Today Live’.
“The same is true for Rohit Sharma as well, but between the two of them, I still feel Virat Kohli has it a little easier just because of himself. That is the price he has to pay for the kind of fitness and legacy he has built. It is a little difficult for Dhoni as well because he is on the wrong side of 40. For him, to not play anything for 10 months, turn up for the IPL and switch on, and also play at a number where he gets only 10-12 balls, is the toughest thing to do. Then there are also 20 overs of keeping, so his job is perhaps the toughest,” he added.
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