"It has become a ruckus now" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli falling prey to a leg-spinner again in IND vs BAN 2025 Champions Trophy clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that Virat Kohli's issues against leg spin are concerning. He pointed out that the ace Indian batter fell prey to Rishad Hossain in the Men in Blue's 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Bangladesh after succumbing to Adil Rashid in the recent ODI series against England.

India bundled Bangladesh out for 228 in their opening Group A game in Dubai on Thursday, February 20. Although Kohli managed only 22 runs off 38 deliveries in the chase, Rohit Sharma and company achieved the target with six wickets and 21 deliveries to spare.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener highlighted that Kohli has been found wanting against leg spin lately.

"It has become a ruckus now. Whether the name is Rashid or Rishad, if he is a leg-spinner, he would get him (Kohli) out. He will dismiss him on the front foot at times and on the back foot on other occasions. It's not a good story. It's not a good look," he said (11:10).

Chopra opined that Kohli wasn't at his best in Thursday's game and during his half-century in the final ODI against England.

"He gets out as soon as a leg-spinner comes. I will be very honest, the way he was batting, it didn't seem like he has hit top gear. When he scored a fifty in the last match, the one in Ahmedabad, then also it didn't seem like he had hit top gear," he observed.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the modern batting great wasn't middling the ball against Bangladesh and wasn't his dominant self.

"Here also, when he came to bat, he scored his first run off probably his ninth or tenth ball. After that also, it didn't seem like the ball was hitting the middle of his bat. Many balls hit the bat's inside edge. He was reading the length okay but the batting wasn't like Kohli's Virat avatar," Chopra elaborated.

Virat Kohli walked out to bat when Rohit Sharma (41 off 36) was dismissed after a 69-run opening partnership with Shubman Gill (101* off 129) in just 9.5 overs. Kohli and Gill added 43 runs in 12.5 overs, with the former hitting just one four during his 38-ball stay.

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"The improvement starts only when you accept the truth" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's problem against leg spin

Virat Kohli has been dismissed five times by leg-spinners since the 2023 ODI World Cup. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that Virat Kohli needs to acknowledge his problems against leg spin if he wants to address the issue.

"I don't know what is happening against leg spinners. He has gotten out while defending, driving, and got out while playing the cut today (Thursday). I don't have an answer. He is getting out to spinners when the ball is leaving him - leg spin or left-arm spin. There is a problem. The improvement starts only when you accept the truth," he said (12:10).

Aakash Chopra expressed hope about Virat Kohli resolving his issues against leg spin ahead of India's 2025 Champions Trophy clash against Pakistan. He pointed out that Abrar Ahmed, a sort of mystery spinner, could trouble the former India captain on a slightly spin-friendly Dubai pitch otherwise.