Former India cricketer Kapil Dev feels that Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul need to play fearless cricket. Rohit and Virat have been rested for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa, while KL Rahul has been named as the skipper of the Indian team.
In the recently concluded Indian Premier League, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli struggled to make much of an impact. The Mumbai Indians skipper averaged a mere 19.14 in fourteen matches, while Virat Kohli scored 341 runs in fifteen games at a strike rate of 115.98.
On the other hand, KL Rahul had a good season and finished as the second-highest run-scorer. In fifteen matches, he scored 616 runs at an average of 51.33 and a strike rate of 135.38. Rahul slammed two centuries in the IPL 2022 season.
Speaking about the three cricketers on the Youtube channel Uncut, Kapil Dev expressed that the trio should score runs when the team needs the most. With the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 around the corner, these three players will be key to India’s success.
“They have a big reputation and there’s huge pressure on them, which shouldn’t be the case. You have to play fearless cricket. All of these are players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. But, when you need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off (in the innings), they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play an anchor or you play striker,” said Kapil Dev as quoted by Hindustan Times.
I think the approach needs to change – Kapil Dev on India’s approach in T20Is
KL Rahul has been often criticized for his strike rate in the shortest format of the game. In the Eliminator against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, KL Rahul scored 79 runs off 58 balls, while chasing 208 runs. The Lucknow Super Giants lost the match by 14 runs, failing to qualify for the second qualifier.
Former India cricketer Kapil Dev expressed that if a player scored 60 runs after batting the whole innings, the player is not helping the team. He expressed:
“When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs, and you score 80-90 runs, then good enough. But if come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you’re not doing justice to your team.”
Kapil Dev further stated that the Indian team needs to change its approach in the T20 format. He said:
“I think the approach needs to change (of the Indian team). And if it doesn’t, you have to change the players. A big player is expected to make a big impact. Having a big reputation is not enough, you also have to deliver great performances.”
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