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'He never looks out of form, irrespective of whether he's scoring runs or not': Sunil Narine on star India batter
Sunil Narine feels the India star is one of those batters who never appears to look out of form even when runs are not coming.
Team India's star-studded batting line-up is easily one of the best in the world – especially in limited-overs format. The blockbuster top order featuring Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul and Virat Kohli as the top three, followed by Suryakumar Yadav at No. 4 and Hardik Pandya at 5 is a nightmare for any opposition to bowl to. With an incredible record behind them and the fact that all batters appear to be in form right ahead of the T20 World Cup augurs well for India, more so given the fact that they will be without their star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
India's top order has been the key to their success over the last several years. Each time, the top order has crumbled, India have found it difficult to win big matches – the 2017 Champions Trophy final and the 2019 World Cup semifinal are two classic examples. Even during last year's T20 World Cup match against Pakistan, once India had lost their openers with practically nothing on the board, the momentum was lost. But despite facing flak from the public for being too reliant on their top order, it is what has been India's strongest suit and will be a crucial factor heading into the World Cup.
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When India's top order is mentioned, no discussion is complete without Rohit and Kohli. The two alpha-males of Indian batting, Kohli and Rohit have dominated world cricket, but were lately battling average form. Thankfully for India, at the Asia Cup, both batters rediscovered their mojo which bodes well for the Indian team. While Kohli scored more runs between the two, the way Rohit adapted and modified his batting approach as per the new batting template taken up by the Indian team, is a refreshing change.
In fact, West Indies spinner Sunil Narine feels Rohit is one of those batters who never looks out of form. Narine, who has bowled to Rohit plenty in the IPL, lauded Rohit the batter, his captaincy and wished the India skipper well for the World Cup starting in less than one month's time in Australia.
"Rohit is a quality player. There is no doubting his ability and I think once he is on the go, he is one of the best batters to watch. He is always in form, never looks out of form whether he is scoring runs or not. He is someone I always love to watch. He has had plenty of success in India captain – his IPL record is obviously good. He has a terrific head on his shoulders and he is winning games," Narine told veteran sports journalist Vimal Kumar in an interview.
Narine, who was left out of West Indies' T20 World Cup squad, weighed in on Kohli's unusually long lean period and said that it was always going to be a matter of time before the former India captain returned to his best. For Kohli, 2022 had been an abysmal year by his standards, but all that changed when he returned to play the Asia Cup after a break and scored 276 runs from five matches, including two fifties and a century at an average of 92.
"It's a part of the game. For someone like him who has been so good for a very long time, it is bound to happen. He is a quality player. He is one of the best in the world so he is always going to come back better," Narine said.
The West Indies spinner also spoke about a topic that has become a hot favourite among the Indian fans – Kohli vs Rohit. The debate as to who the better batter is between the two is a never-ending one but Narine believes that it is important to note that both are in good nick and that fans should be proud and happy knowing they have two of the finest batters in the world cricket representing their country.
"People just like things to talk about. When guys are doing good, they always try to compare who is better and who is not. Everyone is good in their own way and own right and they play for the love of the game and their country than to outdo someone," Narine mentioned.
