‘KL is extra focused, Rohit needs to calm down’ – Shoaib Akhtar skeptical of openers after continued failures

 ‘KL is extra focused, Rohit needs to calm down’ – Shoaib Akhtar skeptical of openers after continued failures

Rohit Sharma, Shoaib Akhtar, KL Rahul (Image Source: Twitter)

Although India clinched an effective win against Pakistan on October 23 on the back of heroics from Virat Kohli in Melbourne, the failures of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul are still haunting the Men in Blue early in the innings. For the unversed, both openers perished for 4 runs apiece and India was struggling at 31-4 at one stage early in the innings, chasing a target of 160. It was Kohli and Hardik Pandya who rescued team India with their stunning 113-run partnership.

Shoaib Akthar, who took note of the openers’ failures, said that they look scared and intimidated early in the innings. Further, the former Pakistani pacer backed the batters to play fearlessly and added that they need to up their game from the next match.

“India openers ki baat karenge, thore dabe lag rahe hai, thode dare-dare lag rahe hai. Rohit Sharma as a captain apne aap ko calm down kare, apni batting gawa raha hai aur KL Rahul jyada focus karke khudko fasa raha hai, wo na kare (India’s openers are looking intimidated and scared. Rohit needs to calm down as a captain, his batting is bearing the brunt of it. KL Rahul is getting trapped because of his extra focused approach, he shouldn’t do so)” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.

Will Rohit make a contribution to team India?

Rohit’s contribution as the captain of the Indian team cannot be ruled out and the only concern would be his form. The batter averages only around 24 this year with the bat and has only 2 fifties to his name.

Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian cricketer, said that the only concern for the Indian captain would be his inability to score and lack of runs under his belt. “The only concern really has been that Rohit Sharma of late has not quite scored with the same capability we know him to. I think if he gets going it really makes people’s life really easy for people to follow,” Gavaskar told on India Today.

Rohit would look to shut the critics with his bat in the upcoming clash against the Netherlands to be played on October 27, Thursday in Sydney.

Rinish William

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