As ace India batter Virat Kohli is set to be seen in action after a long break in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, Aakash Chopra has opened up on how it is important for the right-hander to score runs in the tournament, keeping in mind the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia.

The former batter further mentioned that Kohli hasn’t played much cricket this year, so the upcoming Asia Cup 2022 will be really crucial for him to get runs under his belt to remain in contention for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2022, to be held from October 16 to November 13 in Australia.

Notably, the former Indian skipper last played for India on the England tour in July 2022, since he was on break – rested for both the West Indies and Zimbabwe tours – though he will be returning to action in the upcoming Asia Cup 2022, starting on August 27 in the UAE.

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Aakash Chopra said during Star Sports' show 'Game Plan': “As far as his (Virat Kohli) place in the Indian team is concerned, that question does not arise as of now. But there is no hiding from the fact that he needs to score runs. He has not played that much international cricket since the T20 World Cup last year. He has played just four T20Is since then.”

The former batter-turned-commentator also stressed that the Asia Cup 2022 could be a make-or-break tournament for Kohli. He said, “He is a phenomenal player, perhaps one of the best the world has ever seen, but there comes a point where runs, contributions, and role play come into the picture.”

Chopra signed off by saying, “If you're batting at no. 3 for India, it doesn't matter who it is, you have to score runs. If you're talking about team philosophy, with that perspective and keeping the upcoming T20 World Cup in mind, this Asia Cup after a long break will be crucial for Virat Kohli.”

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