IND vs AUS: Will Virat Kohli Open For India In Upcoming T20Is?: KL Rahul Responds
Published - 20 Sep 2022, 01:11 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:13 AM
India will play against world champions Australia in a three-match T20 series at home, and the first T20I begins on Tuesday at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. After a disappointing Asia Cup campaign, the Indian team will be looking to improve their performance and finalize their line-up for the World Cup.
Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel are back in the team after recovering from injury, and the team’s bowling will be strengthened. The middle order batsmen struggled in the Asia Cup.
KL Rahul is the team’s first-choice opener, but his strike rate has come in for a lot of criticism. Rahul scored at a strike rate of 122.22 in the recent Asia Cup. Cricket experts are saying that Virat Kohli should open alongside Rohit Sharma in the World Cup.
Skipper Rohit Sharma said in the pre-match press conference that Virat will be used as the third opener, but Rahul’s position will not be disturbed for now.
We’ll Go Ahead As Per The Strategy – Kl Rahul
When Rahul was asked about the same before the first T20I, he gave a neutral answer.
“It will all depend upon what opposition we play, and on what surface we play. Also, we’ll go ahead as per the strategy made by the team management. Everyone is here to do their job. You have to be ready to do what’s expected from you. That’s what as players’ we are trained for and we work hard for,” said Rahul at the press conference.
Rahul admitted that the team made mistakes in the Asia Cup, which led to an early exit. The Indian vice-captain, on the other hand, stated that the team knows what went wrong and is trying to learn from it.
“Skill-wise our performance was only 80-85 percent. We are still not very good in terms of batting or excellent in bowling or fielding. There are a few things we need to fix. You can only win big events if all these are done well and the team comes together to win the championship.”
“At last year’s T20 World Cup and this year’s Asia Cup, the mistakes committed were different,” Rahul said.
“What happened in Asia Cup and 2021 World Cup (both early exit), we made (committed) different mistakes in those two events. We are very clear about what went wrong and we are trying to learn from it,” he added.
India will face Australia in a three-match T20I series, and 1st T20i begins on Tuesday, with Rohit Sharma leading the Indian team.
