IND vs NED: Indian Openers Looking Under Pressure And Scared - Shoaib Akhtar

In their opening T20I World Cup encounter in Melbourne against Pakistan, India may have nearly avoided a loss, but a persistent worry surfaced once more throughout the game. India had to defend 160 runs in 20 overs while batting second against a strong Pakistani bowling attack.

To do this, particularly in T20Is, demands a strong start. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, the two Indian openers, were unable in getting off to strong starts. First, Rahul got out for four runs off of eight balls by playing on a Naseem Shah ball against his own stumps. Soon after, the captain Sharma left the field as well, edging a Haris Rauf ball to first slip for four runs of seven balls.

Axar Patel and Suryakumar Yadav followed the openers back to the pavilion, which made the bad start much worse. India was once 31/4 and appeared to be absolutely out of the game.

Shoaib Akhtar Feels Indian Openers Rohit Sharma And KL Rahul Are Feeling Anxious

The focus has been on both Indian openers because of their shaky starts in T20Is. Former fast bowler for Pakistan Shoaib Akhtar posted on his YouTube channel that he thought India’s opening combination was anxious and under pressure.

“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.” (India’s openers are looking a little under pressure and scared. Rohit needs to calm down as a captain, his batting is bearing the brunt of it.)

Additionally, he claimed that KL Rahul is losing his wicket as a result of his excessive focus and concentration.

“KL Rahul jyada focus karke khudko fasa raha hai, wo na kare.” (KL Rahul is getting trapped because of his extra focused approach, he shouldn’t do so),” said Akhtar on his YouTube channel.

Both Sharma and Rahul will get the opportunity to gather experience against the Netherlands before Men in Blue takes the field against South Africa on Sunday at the Optus Stadium in Perth.

Also Read: IND vs PAK: Hardik Pandya Did A Fabulous Job, He Reignited As A Champion – Ravi Shastri