New Delhi, March 27 : Former India opener Aakash Chopra has backed Virat Kohli to be the standout performer in IPL 2026 ahead of MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, citing the right-handed batterâ??s fitness and consistency as decisive factors.

Kohli played a pivotal 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. â??The focus will be on Virat Kohli again because the guy is so fit. Yes, there are gaps between series and he felt the pinch of those gaps in Australia, but once he started scoring runs, he found a way to be super consistent for months.

â??So, the kind of fitness that he has achieved over a period of time makes him the best suited, also because he is an opener. So, he has more time to work himself into form. The same is true for Rohit Sharma as well, but between the two of them, I still feel Virat Kohli has it a little easier just because of himself. That is the price he has to pay for the kind of fitness and legacy he has built,â?? said Chopra on JioStar.

He also explained why Dhoni may find it tough to hit the ground running in IPL 2026. â??It is a little difficult for Dhoni as well because he is on the wrong side of 40. For him, to not play anything for 10 months, turn up for the IPL and switch on, and also play at a number where he gets only 10-12 balls, is the toughest thing to do. Then there are also 20 overs of keeping, so his job is perhaps the toughest.â??

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 batters to get going. â??When you are part of the batting order that the Mumbai Indians have, it is mandatory to set the tone for Rohit Sharma. Rohit does want to bat a certain way. He has already made his opinion very public.

"But if you are part of a setup where there is Quinton de Kock at the other end, followed by Tilak, Surya, Hardik, Will Jacks or Sherfane Rutherford, and then Naman Dhir, what else is the option? You need to maximise the 20 overs, which basically means maximising the first six overs.

"So, yes, Rohit would be expected to bat the same way, see the ball, hit the ball, that is what I am thinking for the entire Mumbai Indians setup, unless the pitch is asking you to play a slightly different brand of cricket," he concluded.

/IANS