New Delhi, March 27 Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra believes Virat Kohli will be the standout performer in IPL 2026, ahead of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, citing Kohli's fitness and consistency as key factors.
Kohli played a crucial role in RCB's title-winning campaign last year, scoring 657 runs at a strike rate of 144.71 and an average of 54.75, including eight fifties. "The focus will be on Virat Kohli again because he is in excellent shape. Yes, there are gaps between series, and he felt the impact of those gaps in Australia, but once he started scoring runs, he found a way to be incredibly consistent for months.
"So, the level of fitness he has achieved over time makes him the best choice, especially because he is an opener. This gives him more time to get into form. Rohit Sharma is also expected to perform well, but I still believe Virat Kohli has an advantage because of his own capabilities. He has to work hard to achieve this level of fitness and build a legacy," Chopra said on JioStar.
He also explained why Dhoni might find it difficult to perform well in IPL 2026. "It's also challenging for Dhoni because he is approaching 40. To not play cricket for 10 months, then come back to the IPL and perform, and also to bat in a role where he gets only 10-12 balls, is a difficult task. Also, there are 20 overs of keeping, so his role is perhaps the most demanding."
Chopra further noted that Rohit is expected to continue his aggressive approach at the top of the order and set the tone for other Mumbai Indians batsmen. "When you are part of the batting lineup that Mumbai Indians has, it's essential to set the tone for Rohit Sharma. Rohit has a specific way of batting. He has made his intentions clear.
"However, if you are part of a team with players like Quinton de Kock, Tilak, Surya, Hardik, Will Jacks, or Sherfane Rutherford, and then Naman Dhir, what else is there to do? You need to maximize the 20 overs, which essentially means maximizing the first six overs.
"So, yes, Rohit is expected to bat in the same way, focus on each ball, and that's what I'm thinking for the entire Mumbai Indians setup, unless the pitch demands a different approach," he concluded.