Legendary Indian captain slams Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul
Rohit Sharma-Virat Kohli-KL Rahul (Image Source: BCCI)
The Indian team is set to return to action in the shortest format of cricket against South Africa on June 9. Following a two-months longs Indian T20 League 2022, India has rested multi-format cricketers like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and quite a few experienced players. For the South African series, the side will be led by KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant has been appointed as his deputy.
The biggest stars of the Indian batting lineup Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had a forgettable Indian T20 League 2022 season. Rohit Sharma had a poor run with the bat in the tournament and failed to score a single-half century, while on the other hand, Virat Kohli scored runs at a mere average of 22.73. KL Rahul had a better outing than Kohli and Sharma and finished the tournament as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament. But his innings in the Eliminator of the tournament against Bangalore drew a lot of criticism. While chasing a big number of 208 runs in the match, Rahul managed to score 79 runs off 58 deliveries which ultimately led his team to lose the match.
The former all-rounder and the first captain of India to win the World Cup for them, Kapil Dev has now spoken up on the performances of the big trio of the current Indian team. While speaking on the YouTube channel Uncut, Kapil Dev said- “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 players who can hit at a strike rate of 150-160. Whenever we need them to score runs, they all get out. When it is time to take off, they are out. And that adds to pressure. Either you play and anchor or you play striker.”
He further spoke about KL Rahul and his role in the team. Kapil Dev feels that he needs to have a defined role and added that a continued period of inconsistent performances from the top three might force the BCCI to take some hard decisions.
“When you talk about KL Rahul, if the team tells him to play the entire 20 overs and you come back with a score of, say 60 not out, you are not doing justice to your team,”- said Kapil.
“I think the approach needs to change. 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,”- added Kapil.
