Former Indian cricketer Atul Wassan feels the experience of stalwart batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma will be the X-factor for the ‘Men in Blue’ in the upcoming ODI World Cup.
Kohli and Rohit, India’s two most experienced players, have tapped into their best selves in time after producing some eye-catching performances in India’s recently concluded series.
Atul talked about the iconic duo who could be India’s trump cards for the mega tournament, and apart from them, he also named Chinaman spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who could also turn out to be a vital player during India’s campaign.
“It is not like we played in Sri Lanka, and we became hot favourites. Anything can happen at any time. By default, Ashwin has come into the squad and the team looks balanced. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s experience is our x-factor because, in a long match, you need one player who can soak up the pressure. We also have Kuldeep, so I think these two-three trump cards help us become favourites. India will definitely be in the top four, along with England and Australia. For the fourth spot, I want Pakistan to be there; their spin department is very weak,” Atul said.
After India’s triumph in the Asia Cup 2023, Rohit and Virat were rested for the first two ODI games of the three-match series against Australia.
They marked their comeback with a bang as he took on the bowlers and dealt effectively with the left-arm pacers to pull off a magnificent knock of 81.
Rohit’s heroics with the bat weren’t enough to take the hosts across the finishing line as India bundled out on 286 while chasing a target of 353.
Kohli also made his presence felt with his trademark shots and struck a 56 before falling to Glenn Maxwell’s unpredictable off-break.
India’s first warm-up game against England in Guwahati was washed out due to rain. They will have one more opportunity to test their playing XI against the Netherlands on Tuesday before they open their campaign against Australia on October 8 in Chennai.
