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Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, will be keen to once again show what they are capable of as the 19th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) gets underway with the season opener between the Royal Callengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Speaking on JioStar, the cricketer-turned-broadcaster Aakash Chopra shared his thoughts on Dhoni's batting position and diminishing returns, Rohit Sharma's aggressive batting style, Virat Kohli's fitness, and which of the three is likely to have the best season. Chopra chose Kohli to have another banger IPL season, crediting his fitness and his batting position as an opener. "The focus will be on Virat Kohli again because the guy is so fit. The kind of fitness that he has achieved over a period of time makes him the best suited, also because he is an opener. 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," said Chopra. The 37-year-old Virat Kohli is the all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history with 8,661 runs in 267 matches. Playing for RCB since 2008, he holds the record for most runs in a single season (973 in 2016) and has scored the most centuries (8) in the tournament's history. According to Chopra, the situation may not be similar for Dhoni because of his age and the reason for his not playing cricket for more than 10 months. "It is a little difficult for Dhoni as well because he is on the wrong side of 40. For him, not to 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," said the former India cricketer. On Rohit Sharma continuing to play in his aggressive style, Chopra said, "When you are part of the batting order that the Mumbai Indians have, it is mandatory to set the tone for Rohit Sharma. Rohit does want to bat a certain way. He has already made his opinion very public. But if you are part of a setup where there is Quinton de Kock at the other end, followed by Tilak, Surya, Hardik, Will Jacks or Sherfane Rutherford, and then Naman Dhir, what else is the option? You need to maximise the 20 overs, which basically means maximising the first six overs." "So, yes, Rohit would be expected to bat the same way, see the ball, hit the ball; that is what I am thinking for the entire Mumbai Indians setup, unless the pitch is asking you to play a slightly different brand of cricket," concluded Chopra. (ANI)
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