Aakash Chopra believes the sparse one-day calendar will keep causing trouble for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The three-match ODI series against England began on July 14, and India lead 1-0 after winning the opener by six wickets. Both veterans are in the squad after earlier absences linked to injury management and workload.
Long breaks, little match practice
On his YouTube channel, Chopra said a typical ODI series has three games, followed by a gap of around two months, then another series and another gap. In his view a series is over within seven or eight days, the next one may be three months away, and there is no first-class cricket in between.
He pointed out that Kohli sat out the Afghanistan series while Rohit played, so Kohli may face yet another long wait before his next ODI. Chopra added that continuing in Test cricket might have helped them stay sharp, but the present schedule makes that far harder.
Why this series matters
Even so, Chopra backed the quality of both men. He noted that they rarely fail together, though they did in the previous match, and that their records against England are excellent. He said India would want both to score because this could be their last England tour.
With the 2027 World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia coming up, each ODI series carries weight. India’s next ODI assignment is reportedly due in September, after the England series finishes on July 19, so the current games are valuable chances to gain match practice.
