"You cannot score runs in Tests with fitness" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's contrasting returns in 2025 Champions Trophy and BGT 2024-25

Former India player Aakash Chopra has attributed Virat Kohli's disparate recent returns in ODIs, including the 2025 Champions Trophy, and Tests, including the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25 to his technical shortcomings in the longest format. He opined that fitness cannot compensate for technical issues in Tests.

Kohli has amassed 122 runs, including an unbeaten 100 in India's last game against Pakistan, at an average of 122.00 in two innings in the ongoing 2025 Champions Trophy. He managed 190 runs at an underwhelming average of 23.75 in nine innings in BGT 2024-25 despite scoring an unbeaten 100 in the second innings of the first Test in Perth.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra', the former India opener was asked whether Kohli is back in form or the BGT 2024-25 version of him will be seen again.

"You won't get the Australia series Kohli because this is ODI cricket. You have never seen him struggling like that in this format and will not be seen either. Even when he went through his worst possible phase, which was the 2014 England tour, when he struggled, he was scoring runs in ODIs then also," he responded (6:45).

"You cannot score runs in Tests with fitness. You have to work a lot on technique and concentration in Tests. You need a different kind of fitness for that. You have to acquire that with solid technique and you cannot have shortcomings there," Chopra added.

Virat Kohli repeatedly fell prey to deliveries outside the off-stump in BGT 2024-25. All eight of his dismissals in the series were to catches behind the wickets.

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"He benefits the most from his fitness in this format" - Aakash Chopra on Virat Kohli's impressive run in ODIs

Virat Kohli puts great emphasis on his fitness. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that Virat Kohli's fitness helps his cause in ODIs.

"ODI cricket is a lot about fitness and no one can exploit you there. You cannot consistently bowl something which is troubling someone. So if you have a problem with your technique, you can put that aside if you have incredible fitness, and he is fit. He benefits the most from his fitness in this format," he said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Kohli is one of the greatest ever ODI batters and is unlikely to have issues in the longer white-ball format.

"He struggled in Australia and the home series recently but is still scoring runs in ODIs. He will continue to score runs because he understands the pulse of this format very well. He is the greatest of all time. He and Sachin paaji (Tendulkar) are standing next to each other and no one is close to them for a long distance. So I don't think he will have problems here," Chopra observed.

Virat Kohli has amassed 14085 runs at an average of 58.20 in 287 ODI innings. He is the third on the list of highest run-scorers in the format, only behind Sachin Tendulkar (18426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14234).