Aakash Chopra reserved high praise for Team India opener Rohit Sharma following his 92-run knock off 85 balls in the third ODI against West Indies in New Chandigarh. He suggested that the star batter had the liberty to come out all guns blazing after scoring a century in the previous match.
He lauded Sharma for changing his game to suit the team’s needs. The 39-year-old steadied the ship after the Men in Blue lost in-form batters Shubman Gill (1 off 6) and Virat Kohli (0 off 1) in the third over.
The former cricketer remarked that he would rate Sharma’s 92 higher than his last two ODI tons against West Indies (101 off 75) and England (138 off 110 balls). He said in his latest YouTube video:
“The guy gave us a lesson. When you’ve scored a hundred in the last match, it’s very easy to hit straightaway in the next match, but he didn’t do that. He said, ‘No, I will struggle, look scratchy or ugly, but my team needs me to play like this.’ He has two hundreds in his last four innings, but this 92 was better than both hundreds.”
While Sharma missed out on a well-deserved century, KL Rahul smashed his ninth ODI ton. Batting for the first time in the series, the wicketkeeper-batter scored an unbeaten 129 off 87, taking India to 351/7 in 50 overs. However, Shai Hope overshadowed the knock with a stunning 162* off 143 as West Indies completed a five-wicket consolation win.
“He is the most versatile batter, not just in India, but across the world” – Aakash Chopra’s massive praise for KL Rahul
Aakash Chopra pointed out how KL Rahul showed his class despite not getting a proper chance to bat in India’s recent ODI fixtures. He hailed the senior player as the most versatile batter in world cricket.
He pointed out that there aren’t many batters like Rahul who can adapt to different formats and batting positions so well. The cricketer-turned-commentator added in the same video:
“The chance eventually came, and he was absolutely ready. You keep this in mind: I won’t get chances again and again; whatever I get, I’ll capitalize on it. You definitely see his determination there. No matter how much we talk about KL Rahul, it feels like it’s not enough because he is the most versatile batter, not just in India, but across the world.
“The range of cricket that he has is incredible. I don’t think there is anyone like him in world cricket. Maybe Travis Head still comes slightly close, but I still rate KL Rahul a little better.”
Notably, Rahul completed 10,000 runs in international cricket during his unbeaten 129. He became the 15th Indian to complete the milestone.
Edited by Aditya Suketu Desai
