"Not Sure How...": Rohit Sharma On KL Rahul 'New Role' In Test Cricket

26.12.2023 - 05:27 sports.ndtv.com

India captain Rohit Sharma on Monday said, as a leader, he wants his team to "achieve" what others Indian sides in the past have failed to do in South Africa.

Since their first Test series in South Africa in 1992, India have never achieved success there. India will play South Africa in the the first of the two Tests starting here on Tuesday. "Want to achieve what nobody has achieved in this part of the world," Rohit said during the pre-match press conference.

Rohit also did not want to speak about his cricketing future, just saying that he wants to enjoy the game. "I want to play whatever cricket is there in front of me," he said without elaborating his plans.

KL Rahul is expected to keep wickets in the first Test but the skipper said it will be is up to wicketkeeper-batter to decide how long he wants to don the gloves in the five-day format. "I am not sure how long KL Rahul would want to keep wickets but he is keen as of now," said Rohit.

cricket South Africa Cricket Team India Cricket Team South Africa vs India Test on Kagiso Rabada Temba Bavuma Aiden Markram Rohit Sharma Marco Jansen Keegan Petersen Kyle Verreynne David Bedingham Tony De-Zorzi Yashasvi Jaiswal Mohammed Shami Tristan Stubbs Gerald Coetzee Kl Rahul South Africa India

Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra wants senior Indian batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to open during the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in the West Indies and USA, saying that the pitches at the venue will be such that there will be better chances at scoring runs in the first six overs of the innings. Rohit and Virat will be playing together in a T20I match for the first time in over one year since India's crushing loss to England in the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 when they meet Afghanistan in the second T20I at Indore on Sunday. India leads the series 1-0.

Not Sanju Samson Or Jitesh Sharma, Ex-India Star Names Rohit Sharma's 'First Choice' Wicket-Keeper

Former India batter Suresh Raina believes that the first-choice wicketkeeper-batter for Rohit Sharma would be Rishabh Pant. The 26-year-old southpaw is not a part of India's ongoing three-match T20I series against Afghanistan but he is gearing up for a comeback to competitive cricket. Pant, who has started training after recovering from a car accident he met with in December 2022, is expected to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. With the Afghanistan series being India's last T20I assignment before the T20 World Cup, the performance of players in IPL is definitely going to have a say in the selection of the squad for the world event.

First Time In History! Rohit Sharma On Verge Of Sensational T20I Achievement

India skipper Rohit Sharma is all set to register a big T20I record. The star batter is only one game away from becoming the first player in international cricket to feature in 150 T20Is. Rohit has been picked as captain for the three-match T20I series against Afghanistan which will also see him return to the format after a gap of 14 months. It is worth noting that India veterans Rohit and Virat Kohli both had been out of the T20I team ever since the side's exit in the T20 World Cup semi-final in November.

Virat Kohli Gears Up For 1st T20I In 14 Months But Should Not Open With Rohit Sharma. Ex-India Star Explains Why

Former Indian cricket team wicket-keeper Saba Karim believes that Virat Kohli should not open the batting with Rohit Sharma in the ongoing T20I series against Afghanistan. India defeated Afghanistan in the first T20I encounter in Mohali on Thursday but Kohli did not play the game due to 'personal reasons'. However, the star batter will be back for the second game and there were rumours that he can become Rohit's opening partner. Saba said that India will need Kohli to play a crucial role at No. 3 in the T20 World Cup and considering the pitches in West Indies, Kohli should stick to his familiar role.

Was "Not Very Nice": Commentator Breaks Down What Rohit Sharma Told Shubman Gill After Run Out In India vs Afghanistan T20I

The India vs Afghanistan 1st T20I in Mohali on Thursday saw the Rohit Sharma-led hosts tick almost all boxes. India romped home to a six-wicket win with players like Shivam Dube, Axar Patel and others giving a good account of themselves. However, one box that was left unchecked was a solid batting show by Rohit Sharma. Playing his first T20I in 14 months, Rohit Sharma got out on 0 after a horrific mix-up with fellow opener Shubman Gill.

Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma's T20I Return A Step Back For BCCI? Suresh Raina Says "If You Look At..."

Contrary to the prevalent notion of it as a backward step, former India all-rounder Suresh Raina on Thursday termed the selection of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli into the national squad for the T20I series against Afghanistan as a wise call with the World Cup fast approaching. Rohit and Kohli were included in India's T20 squad after a gap of 14 months, and Raina said their presence will give the squad a lot of solidity. "If you look at the World Cup venues (in the USA and the West Indies), the wicket will be a bit tricky. India will need the experience of Rohit and Kohli there. Kohli is about to make 12000 runs in T20 cricket.