New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Former India opener Aakash Chopra has highlighted the shift in batting approach of modern-day greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the IPL, noting a rise in their strike rates over the last two seasons, and stating that seeing them bat at a powerful strike rate ‘feels like they’re driving a Ferrari.’
Kohli and Rohit, traditionally seen as key players in T20 cricket, have adjusted their playing styles to meet the format's evolving pressures, adopting a more aggressive approach since 2024. At the ongoing IPL 2026, both players have been performing exceptionally well for their teams.
“Look at the way both have switched gears. From 2020 to 2023, Kohli and Rohit’s strike rates were 126 and 127 in the IPL, a bit slow and sedate, but look at how both have transformed since 2024; they are striking at 152. It almost feels like they are driving a Ferrari now,” Chopra told JioStar.
Meanwhile, former India captain Anil Kumble offered a technical breakdown of why emerging spinner Digvesh Rathi has been difficult for batters to read, particularly due to the subtle variations in his wrist and finger positions.
“There isn’t much difference between a leg-spin delivery that goes away from the batter and the googly in the way that he bowls, so it’s not easy to read. His grip on the ball remains almost the same, with his thumb on the side, the index finger on top of the seam, and the folded middle finger. He just positions his index finger a little differently on his inward-turning ball, which is the googly, but that too isn’t easy to pick. His speeds are also very good, so if you don’t pick the length correctly, there’s a high chance of getting out,” he noted.
The legendary leg-spinner also shared advice for young bowlers aiming to develop spin skills, emphasising the importance of practice and building finger strength from an early stage.
“You can definitely start practising spinning the ball with a rubber ball or a tennis ball, because you’ll need to squeeze the ball a bit to bowl the carrom ball. So, if you start from there, first focus on getting the turn, and later work on control by simply bowling as much as you can. After that, when you move to a cricket ball, you might be able to execute this skill properly, because the key is learning how to hold the ball tightly and making your fingers strong enough to spin it and then just try and perfect it,” he said.
--IANS
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