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KL Rahul has been under the pump for lack of runs in the ongoing T20 Cup 2022 in Australia. So far, the Indian vice-captain has managed scores of 4 (against Pakistan) and 9 (each against the Netherlands and South Africa) which itself speaks about his struggle Down Under.
And now, the pundits have started suggesting the Indian team management to go for a change in the opening combination.
Former cricketer and 2-time World Cup winner, Harbhajan Singh has opined that the team can think about trying out Rishabh Pant as an opener. Speaking with Tak after India’s loss to South Africa, the spin bowling legend said Karthik, who walked out of the field on Sunday due to a back issue, can be replaced by Pant, who can also walk out with captain Rohit Sharma as his opening partner.
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“They may have to take some tough calls, the team has to think about it going forward. KL Rahul is a great player, we all know that, he is a match-winner. But if he is struggling with his form like this, I think you should bring in Rishabh Pant,” Harbhajan said on Sports Tak.
“Karthik looks injured, I don’t know what his status is. If he is not, Rishabh Pant can open the innings with Rohit Sharma. You get a left-right combination like that. You can also bring in Deepak Hooda and he can even bowl a few overs,” he added.
Harbhajan further spoke about Yuzvendra Chahal who’s yet to play a game in the ongoing showpiece event. The former cricketer said it was a mistake to leave out the wrist-spinner and can be brought into the side in place of Yuzvendra Chahal.
“I also feel they should bring in Yuzvendra Chahal in place of Ashwin. He is a bowler who takes wickets. You don’t mind giving away runs as long as you take 2-3 wickets. Chahal is a big match-winner, and he is among the highest-ranked T20 bowlers in the world.
“They might be going with experience and that’s why they may be selecting Ashwin. Their team also had a lot of left-handers, and they may have looked at that factor as well. But I feel that if you have a good bowler, he will bowl well regardless of whether it is a left-hander or right-hander on strike. This is just about the thought process. Chahal has made his reputation by taking wickets, he has proven he is a big-match winner in these smaller formats,” Harbhajan concluded.
On Sunday, India suffered a major batting collapse, getting restricted to 133/9 after opting to bat first. The bowlers then did a terrific job to dominate the Proteas batter but patient knocks from Aiden Markram (52) and David Miller (59*) handed India a 5-wicket defeat.
The Men in Blue will now face Bangladesh in their next fixture on Wednesday in Adelaide
