Cricketer-turned-expert Aakash Chopra has raised some serious questions over the decisions taken by the Indian Cricket Team's two icons, Virat Kohli & Rohit Sharma, regarding their international careers, even as the former India player has backed the duo to play the ODI World Cup 2027 event. Notably, the ODI is the only format where the two batters are playing at the international level.
The batting stars last featured in the Champions Trophy 2025 event earlier this year, before playing two months of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra expressed bemusement at the duo's choices to call it quits from Test cricket and T20Is, while still being active in ODIs.
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"Both of them can push it till the World Cup. Since the 2027 World Cup is in South Africa, experience and skills will be needed. Again, that's also a bridge too far, but both have realistic chances till the 2027 World Cup. However, they are playing less cricket, I don't like that," Chopra said.
The expert added that retiring from the red-ball format has significantly reduced their game time.
"I feel they should have been playing more cricket. They would have played a lot of cricket had they kept playing Tests. I don't know why they have left Tests and are playing ODIs, and have left T20Is too. Two months of IPL and then 10 matches in 10 months. Personally, I don't understand this," he remarked.
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Aakash Chopra explains how Virat Kohli's legacy will be judged
Chopra also answered a question of how Kohli's legacy will be judged once he retires from international cricket.
"I think batting records. In impact as a leader, he hasn't lifted any ICC Trophy. ICC trophies are remembered. It's good when you win a Test mace, or the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the novelty fades when the next team also wins," he explained.
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The expert further stated the near misses under the RCB skipper's leadership.
"Of course, they won under Virat's captaincy for the first time, but they won again. We drew the series in South Africa, but didn't win in England. We won a few tournaments, but the big ICC events, whether T20 or ODI World Cup," he said.
