Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar wants skipper Rohit Sharma to finally step up in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 semifinal against England at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, November 10. The Indian captain has not been at his best in the ongoing T20 World Cup, as he has scored just one half-century so far.
After taking over as captain last year, Rohit adopted a fearless approach with the bat at the start of the powerplay, setting the stage for the rest of the batsmen to take the team to a big total. However, the mega tournament did not go as expected. While the pull is now his trademark shot, it has also been his downfall.
Rohit Sharma Is Always A Good Puller Of The Ball – Sunil Gavaskar
Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar advised Rohit to refrain from playing pull shots unless he is well set at the crease, owing to the bigger boundaries in Australia.
“What’s been happening is, he himself, as the captain of the team, has set this template in the first six overs to go bang, bang, and bang. Suddenly, he can’t be seen looking to work the ball around. He is always a good puller of the ball. But on Australian boundaries, that pull shot has got him into trouble.”
“We saw that two years ago as well, he got out twice by playing the pull shot after having scored 40-50 runs (in Tests). That’s got him into trouble again. In a T20 format with just one fielder in the first six overs, he has got to be mindful of the fielder and play the pull shot. It’s a productive shot for him, let’s not forget that,” said Gavaskar on India Today.
Hope He Is Saving The Runs For The Next Two Matches – Sunil Gavaskar
Rohit Sharma has scored 89 runs in five games at an average of 17.8 and, barring a 53-run knock against the Netherlands, has failed to cross the 15-run mark on four other occasions. Sunil Gavaskar believes that the captain will find his best form in the T20 World Cup knockout games.
“Well, let’s just hope he is saving the runs for the next two matches. They are going to be the biggest matches. In a group game, you know there’s another game to follow, so you maybe sometimes try a little too much and get out.
“Now, these are knockout games. In a knockout game, you can’t afford to experiment too much. You need to be at your best. Let’s hope that Rohit comes good,” he added.
India and Pakistan are qualified for the semi-finals from Group 2, while New Zealand and England are qualified from Group 1. The Men in Blue will then face England in the semi-final at Adelaide Oval on Thursday, November 10, while Pakistan will face New Zealand in the other semi-final at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Wednesday, November 9.