"You cannot say that Virat Kohli got out because Gautam didn't resolve his issues" - Aakash Chopra on Gambhir being questioned for Kohli's dismissals

Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that head coach Gautam Gambhir and his staff cannot be blamed for Virat Kohli's mode of dismissals. He pointed out that the ace Indian batter has had the same technical issues virtually throughout his career.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 100 in India's second innings of the first Test against Australia in Perth in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25. However, he managed only 90 runs in his other eight innings and was dismissed to catches behind the stumps every time.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener questioned whether Sunil Gavaskar and Sanjay Manjrekar were right to seek accountability from Gambhir and company for Kohli's long-standing problems.

"Sunny bhai (Sunil Gavaskar) and Sanjay bhai (Manjrekar) both said that Virat Kohli's issues outside the off-stump are chronic problems. They said it should be solved and asked what Abhishek Nayar and Gautam Gambhir were doing as part of the coaching staff," he said (5:50).

"When you have used the word chronic or you are seeing a problem that doesn't exist only today in isolation, which was probably there earlier, went missing for some time, and has returned, can you blame the coaching department that has been there with this team for only the last six months? You cannot say that Virat Kohli got out because Gautam didn't resolve his issues," Chopra added.

Aakash Chopra noted that it is not Gautam Gambhir's mistake if a vastly experienced batter is not scoring runs. He added that in such a scenario, the Indian head coach should be the only one credited for Jasprit Bumrah's excellent performances.

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"If you have to point your guns and fire, you have to look towards the last coaching staff as well" - Aakash Chopra on technical issues like Virat Kohli's

All eight of Virat Kohli's BGT 2024-25 dismissals were off deliveries outside the off-stump. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the previous coaching staff should also be questioned about Virat Kohli and other players' chronic problems.

"If it's a chronic problem like someone stays committed on the front foot or someone's reflexes are getting slower, it wouldn't have happened in six months. So if you have to point your guns and fire, you have to look towards the last coaching staff as well, which no one is talking about," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted that Rahul Dravid and company had enough time to address those issues.

"I heard someone saying - 'I am done talking about these players. I want accountability from the coaching staff because these are chronic problems.' I would say, then ask for it not from this coaching staff but the previous one because that coaching staff remained for long and they had an opportunity to correct these shortcomings," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra acknowledged that he too has criticized Gautam Gambhir when the right team hasn't been played or an incorrect decision has been made at the toss. However, he added that a coaching team cannot be removed after just six months, highlighting that transition is tough and the labor pain will have to be borne.