"I don't know why they have left Tests and are playing ODIs" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's ODI future

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have realistic chances of playing the 2027 ODI World Cup. However, he wondered why the duo retired from Tests and are continuing to play ODIs, highlighting that, barring the Indian Premier League (IPL), they wouldn't get much game time.

Kohli and Rohit retired from T20Is after India's victorious 2024 T20 World Cup campaign. They called it quits from Tests before the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener was asked about Kohli and Rohit's ODI future.

"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, and I don't like that," Chopra responded (10:05).

"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 added.

Virat Kohli has amassed 14,181 at an average of 57.88 in 290 ODI innings. Rohit Sharma has aggregated 11,168 runs at an average of 48.76 in 265 ODI innings.

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"I think batting records" - Aakash Chopra on what would define Virat Kohli's legacy

Virat Kohli has scored 27,599 runs at an average of 52.27 in 617 innings in international cricket. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra was asked whether Virat Kohli's legacy would be defined by batting records or impact as a leader.

"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 the Test mace. It was very good when you won the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, but the team that went the next time also won. So the novelty factor doesn't remain in that," he replied (10:40).

The cricketer-turned-commentator noted that although India fared well in bilaterals under Kohli's captaincy, they fell short in ICC events.

Of course, they won under Virat's captaincy for the first time, but then they won again. They went to England and didn't return after winning. The series was drawn under Shubman's captaincy and Virat's captaincy as well. We drew the series in South Africa, we didn't win. We have won a few tournaments for sure, but we didn't win the big ICC events, whether it's the T20 or the ODI World Cup," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra acknowledged that Virat Kohli has been a phenomenal leader and is India's most successful Test captain based on numbers. However, the analyst pointed out that Kohli's achievements as a batter will be spoken about for ages, highlighting that he is in the same league as Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar.