Former India international Aakash Chopra has analyzed Virat Kohli's dwindling numbers in the last five years. Looking at the numbers, Chopra called on chief selector Ajit Agarkar and head coach Gautam Gambhir to form a clear blueprint for Kohli's future in Test cricket.
Virat Kohli has not been in good form with the bat in the last few years in the longest format of the game. His poor form continued in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy where he scored just 190 runs in five Tests at an average of 23.75.
There have been calls about him retiring after the disappointing results, but the veteran has not given any hint about that yet. With India set to play their next Test match in June 2025, the pressure is mounting on Kohli to make the final decision of his career.
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Aakash Chopra calls for a 'clear blueprint' for Virat Kohli's future in Tests
While speaking on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra analyzed Virat Kohli's numbers in the last five years and before this period. There was a sharp contradiction in both stages. While Kohli was once a beast in the red-ball game, his numbers have started to decline in the last few years.
“These (Kohli's numbers in the last five years) are a large sample size. The selectors have to decide now. There is no Test cricket until the England series, so Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir need to make a clear blueprint for the future,” Chopra said.
The form of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is a major concern for Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir. It remains to be seen how the team management will deal with this difficult situation.
Virat Kohli's numbers in the last five years
In the last five years, Virat Kohli has scored runs at an average of just 30.72 in 39 Tests. He has scored just three hundreds in this period and one of them came in the recent Test series against Australia.
The numbers contrast sharply with his overall career statistics where he scored over 9,000 runs at an average of over 46 with 30 hundreds. At one point, Kohli was averaging over 50 in Test cricket but the numbers have declined sharply in the post-Covid era.
Virat Kohli is still a beast in the white-ball format
Despite his declining numbers in Test cricket, Virat Kohli is still a beast in white-ball cricket. The 36-year-old recently top-scored in the IPL 2024 season with 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69.
He also played a key role in India's victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 with a man-of-the-match performance in the final against South Africa. After the tournament he retired from the T20I format. He was also the highest-paid bowler in the 2023 ODI World Cup and played a vital role in India's path to the final.
Virat Kohli will have a big role to play in the upcoming Champions Trophy as he will be one of the biggest players in the tournament. The 36-year-old has been a very consistent player in ODIs, which is also his preferred format.