Amidst Virat Kohli’s absence from the ongoing Test series against England due to personal reasons, cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar raised questions about Kohli’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL).
Gavaskar said: “Kya woh khelenge… kuchh reason ke liye khel nahin rahe hain, shaayad ho sakta hai ke IPL ke liye bhi na khele (Will he play… He is not playing because of some reason, perhaps he may not play in IPL as well).”
Initially included in the Indian Test squad, Kohli withdrew before the series opener in Hyderabad, with the IPL season set to commence on March 22. Gavaskar, speaking at a Star Sports event with students of the Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi, speculated on Kohli’s form upon returning to action after a prolonged hiatus. Additionally, Gavaskar highlighted the potential emergence of Rajasthan Royals’ wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel as a standout player in this IPL, praising his remarkable performance in India’s series-clinching win over England.
Gavaskar lauded Jurel by saying: “He could be promoted up the order. Jurel could be the superstar after this performance in the Test matches. Even Akash Deep could get more exposure in RCB and play the role of the death over specialist which they were missing last season.”
He also commended Mumbai Indians’ decision to appoint Hardik Pandya as captain, enabling Rohit Sharma to focus solely on batting without the burden of leadership responsibilities.
“To allow Rohit to play purely as a batter… it has been a busy season for him, first the World Cup, and now this series.
“This will give him the freedom to play without worrying about other players. My feeling is that it will work very well for Mumbai Indians.”
“For Hardik to have someone like Rohit to turn to would be invaluable. Hardik will enjoy having Rohit as ‘captain.”
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