Those who were concerned about the return of Virat Kohli to international cricket, here comes the good news. The former India captain was named in the 15-men squad for the Asia Cup 2022, starting August 27 in the UAE.
The Men in Blue are scheduled to lock horns with arch-rival Pakistan a day after the commencement of the tournament; on August 28 in Dubai. The game will mark Kohli’s comeback for the first time since the conclusion of the England tour.
With Kohli getting back into the action, the anticipation will surely be around his batting form. The 33-year-old has been going through a rough patch for two years now. Since his 70th international, which came in 2019 against Bangladesh in Kolkata, he has been struggling to get triple figures. The situation seems to have worsened in 2022 as he’s finding it tough to get even a fifty across formats.
But before the T20 World Cup 2022 gets underway in Australia, Team India will get ample games to pick a strong 15. At least 4 games in the Asia Cup followed by 6 T20Is at home, against Australia and South Africa, would also help Kohli to get back his lost form.
During a conversation on Star Sports following the Asia Cup squad announcement, former India opener Aakash Chopra feels that the upcoming games would serve as a great opportunity for Kohli to bat freely.
Chopra explained that Team India is playing an aggressive brand of cricket that doesn’t expect a player like Kohli to score big runs. Instead, he would be needed to just come and play his part.
“I don’t know what’s the mindset of the team or what Virat is feeling, but I, as a viewer, have lowered my expectations. The reason is, I don’t see anyone in this team who would play for his hundred. Be it Rohit Sharma or KL Rahul, if they are batting on 50, they go all guns blazing. If 220 is possible, you want to go there. Don’t settle for 210 or 190 or 180. If the team bats with that mindset then an individual gets the liberty to play freely. If that’s the case, then I’m not judging a player by numbers," said Chopra.
“Doesn’t matter if he scores a 40 or 70 because everybody has a role to play. There’s synergy in every player regardless of the position he bats at, you are just going hell for leather. If that’s the mindset, then it’s going to be a lot easier for Kohli.
“It’s the perfect set-up. The kind of cricket India is playing at the moment, the team doesn’t expect Kohli to score 70 or a 100 or finish the game. You just come and play your, that’s more than enough," he added.
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