"Everything was going wrong for him" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's performances in 2022

Former Team India opener Aakash Chopra has put Virat Kohli in third position on his list of top T20I batters for the year 2022.

Chopra mentioned how not many would have expected Kohli to make it to the list earlier in the year, considering his prolonged lean patch. He lauded the former India captain for roaring back to form with his stunning knocks in T20 cricket towards the end of the year.

Chopra made these remarks while speaking in a YouTube video on his channel on Saturday, December 31. He said:

"Nobody would have imagined that Virat Kohli would find a place on this list. He struggled for form, and his performances were quite underwhelming in the IPL too. Everything was going wrong for him."

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Kohli even managed to perform well on challenging tracks against Pakistan and England at the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, saying:

"However, he was able to turn things around. He was outstanding during the T20 World Cup. The pitch was quite challenging against Pakistan and England, but he still managed to score."

Notably, Kohli emerged as the top performer with the bat for the Men in Blue at the T20 World Cup in Australia. With his unbeaten 82-run knock against Pakistan, he helped India secure a four-wicket victory in a last-ball thriller during the Super 12 round.

The seasoned campaigner also came up with a gutsy performance in the crucial semi-finals against England, scoring 50 runs off 40 balls. However, his efforts went in vain as India eventually suffered a 10-wicket loss in the knockout fixture.

Kohli mustered 296 runs from six outings at the showpiece event at an average of 98.67, finishing as the leading run-getter of the tournament.

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"He has been the best T20I batter of the year" - Aakash Chopra on Suryakumar Yadav

Aakash Chopra further went on to say that as per him, dynamic Indian batter Suryakumar Yadav has been the top batter in T20Is in 2022.

He pointed out that while India failed to do well at multi-nation events, Suryakumar was able to make a significant impact with his phenomenal performances. The former India opener highlighted how the right-handed batter showcased great consistency in the shortest format. Chopra said:

"This year belongs to Suryakumar Yadav. This year hasn't been good for Team India, considering what happened at the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. Suryakumar was still able to shine brightly."

He added:

"He has performed brilliantly, managing to claim the top spot in the ICC rankings for batters. For me, he has been the best T20I batter of the year. His record has been incredible. The manner in which he has batted is absolutely stellar."

Suryakumar has 1164 runs to his name in 31 T20Is along with a fantastic strike rate of 187.43 in 2022. He hit two centuries and nine fifties in the format in 2022. The 31-year-old is the highest run-scorer in the format this year and is currently ranked No.1 in the ICC's rankings for batters in T20Is.