Published 17:58 IST, January 8th 2020
'It amazes me everytime I see KL Rahul play', says an impressed Gautam Gambhir
Former India opener, Gautam Gambhir heaped praises on current opener KL Rahul who is battling out for the opening spot with Shikhar Dhawan's return to the team
Former opener and India's World Cup-winning hero, Gautam Gambhir heaped praises on current opener KL Rahul who is battling out for the opening spot with Shikhar Dhawan's return. Gambhir has been tremendously impressed by Rahul's run-scoring spree as the former cricketer said, "Rahul is in unbelievable form. It amazes me every time I see Rahul bat that why didn't he play the same way in Test cricket," after India's mighty victory against Sri Lanka in the second T20.
'He can get you a 50-ball 100 in Tests'
Rahul, who top-scored in the second T20 on Tuesday, also had a brilliant series against West Indies earlier in December. Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday said, "It's not about only white-ball cricket. It is about Test cricket too. He just got into a shell too much. With the kind of quality he posses, he is someone who can get you a 50-ball 100 in Test cricket as well. The kind of shots he has is superb."
The current BJP MP from East-Delhi said that going by Rahul's current form he should be the one opening alongside Rohit Sharma against Australia. Gambhir also reflected upon Shikhar Dhawan's 'rusty' form as he compared his fixed spot for Delhi Capitals in the IPL and the limited opportunities in the Indian team.
"You can't compare IPL to international cricket. When you're playing for Delhi Capitals, you know there's no one waiting for the opportunity. But when you're playing for the country and you know there's someone who can actually replace you. There'll always be pressure. And today it was shown who's in better form," added Gambhir.
Clinical performance by Virat Kohli & Co.
India registered a comprehensive 7 wicket-win over Sri Lanka in the second T20I in Indore. India managed to restrict the Lankans to 142/9 after a brilliant performance by the Indian pacers. Shardul Thakur was the pick of the bowlers with 3 wickets to his name. Navdeep Saini and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with two wickets apiece.
Chasing 143, Indian openers KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan gave the team a good start as they were cruising at the halfway stage. Wanindu Hasaranga sent both the openers back to the hut in quick succession but Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli ensured that India do not lose their momentum. Iyer scored 34 off 26 balls before getting out. Virat Kohli stayed unbeaten at 30 runs off 17 balls to guide India to a 7-wicket win.
Updated 17:58 IST, January 8th 2020