IND Vs AFG: Virat Kohli Had A Bit Of Luck: Sunil Gavaskar's Eye-Opening Verdict On Indian Batting Legend

Renowned Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed his optimism about KL Rahul’s current batting prowess and its positive implications for India in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. India defeated Australia in their opening match of the 2023 World Cup at Chepauk by six wickets.

In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Sunil Gavaskar lauded India’s remarkable comeback, emphasizing that their resilience was truly impressive. He noted that this victory would boost their confidence significantly. India successfully restricted Australia to a modest total of 199 runs and comfortably chased it down with 6 wickets in hand and 52 balls to spare.

“What India has shown is that they can recover even with backs on their wall. The fightback that we saw was the most impressive. It was a total all-rounder performance, a very good performance by India. The confidence level will go up. So other teams will have to watch out,” Gavaskar declared.

Sunil Gavaskar then turned his attention to KL Rahul’s exemplary batting performance, affirming that Rahul had been faultless in Chennai. Rahul’s unbeaten 97 runs off 115 balls, featuring eight boundaries and two sixes, left a profound impression.

“Virat’s experience was needed and we must not forget Rahul’s innings as well. Rahul scored 97 not out and did not put a foot wrong. Kohli had a bit of luck when that easy catch was dropped. So good to see the way he is playing. We’ve all known the ability and talent that he has. The way he’s batting right now really augers well for India for the rest of the tournament. You have someone coming in at number 5 who can hold the innings together,” Sunil Gavaskar emphasized.

Sunil Gavaskar Praised Virat Kohli’s Ability To Thrive Under Pressure

The former Indian skipper further praised Virat Kohli’s ability to thrive under pressure and highlighted his desire for challenging runs. Sunil Gavaskar expressed his surprise at Kohli falling short of a century, as Kohli scored a determined 85 runs off 116 balls, featuring six boundaries.

“He relishes pressure and does not want easy runs. When you’re under pressure, all your runs are valuable. So relishing the pressure is one of the most important aspects. There’s no batter who doesn’t need a bit of luck at the start of the innings. But once that luck comes your way, you’ve got to cash in on it and he is very good at it. I’m actually surprised that he got out at 85 because if there’s one batter who knows how to get a hundred, it’s Kohli,” Gavaskar remarked.

Virat Kohli and KL Rahul stitched a 165-run stand after the team’s top order was dismantled rendering the score 2/3. They both played sensibly and took the team over the line. The patience shown by Rahul and Kohli was remarkable and it was one of the highlighting reasons that India won the match comfortably.

Following their triumphant 6-wicket victory over Australia in Chennai, India is gearing up to face Afghanistan next, with the two teams scheduled to clash at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on October 11th. India will then march on to Ahmedabad where they will face Pakistan, a match which is highly anticipated for thrills and chills.